How We Do Family, Trystan Reese
How We Do Family, Trystan Reese
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

How We Do Family
From Adoption to Trans Pregnancy, What We Learned about Love and LGBTQ Parenthood

Author: Trystan Reese

Narrator: Trystan Reese

Unabridged: 5 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/31/2021


Synopsis

One LGBTQ family's inspiring, heartfelt story of the many alternative paths that lead to a loving family, with lessons for every parent

Trystan and Biff had been dating for just a year when the couple learned that Biff's niece and nephew were about to be removed from their home by Child Protective Services. Immediately, Trystan and Biff took in one-year-old Hailey and three-year-old Lucas, becoming caregivers overnight to two tiny survivors of abuse and neglect.

From this unexpected start, the young couple built a loving marriage and happy home—learning to parent on the job. They adopted Hailey and Lucas, tied the knot, and soon decided to try for a baby that Trystan, who is transgender, would carry. Trystan's groundbreaking pregnancy attracted media fanfare, and the family welcomed baby Leo in 2017.

In this inspiring memoir, Trystan shares his unique story alongside universal lessons that will help all parents through the trials of raising children. How We Do Family is a refreshing new take on family life for the LGBTQ community and beyond. Through every tough moment and touching memory, Trystan shows that more important than getting things right is doing them with love.

About Trystan Reese

Trystan Reese is an established thought leader, educator, speaker, and the founder of Collaborate Consulting, which provides customized training in diversity, equity, and inclusion for individuals, organizations, and communities interested in social justice. A professionally trained anti-racism facilitator, he has been organizing within the trans community for nearly two decades. He is a 2021 Lambda Literary Fellow and has been featured in The Moth, People, and BuzzFeed. He is married to his partner Biff and they live in Portland, Oregon with their three kids: Lucas, Hailey, and Leo. They are very happy.


Reviews

Goodreads review by MossyMorels on June 16, 2021

As a trans person, I have a hard time imagining my future. Their are so few examples of trans adults who are happy with a family. We are constantly fed this cishet family ideal and it makes it hard for people like me to find how we fit into that. This book really helped be able to picture a future f......more

Goodreads review by Librariann on May 28, 2021

** I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome ** This was a pretty basic memoir with direct prose and not a lot of style points in the writing, but the direct, easy-to-read style worked well with Trystan's story. I confess, I picked this up......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on September 06, 2021

A moving combination memoir/parenting book about swift and sudden parenthood when the author and his partner take in an unwell family member's children, becoming fathers overnight, while also navigating these glorious obstacles as a gay trans/cis couple. There are not enough stories like Reese's tha......more

Goodreads review by Pétur on February 10, 2024

Inspired......more