Para Nina

the long version

Grade 9 Up -- Eduardo, a young man who knows he is a woman trapped in a man's body, records in a diary everything that happens as he comes to discover, understand, and confront his sexual identity. Without his mother's support and with an absent father, he finds love and understanding in his unconventional grandmother, Nina; a brilliant woman who believes in him and inspires him not only to write the diary, but also to pursue his dream of turning his male body into a feminine one. Written as a fragmentary personal text, the novel starts when he is a confused but courageous 14-year-old and he chooses a new name for himself, and ends when he is in his 20s, living as Victoria, in Mexico City. This story invites readers to contemplate the need to be true to oneself and to understand our contradictions as humans. Torralba's ink sketches are shown like a dream where symbols of sexuality seem to float on the page. The drawings of Eduardo/Victoria are elongated and reveal the male body, yet suggest the feminine form. This is a powerfully written and thought-provoking story that raises awareness and empathy for teens coming to terms with their sexual identities and looking for acceptance--Library School Journal.