The Secrets of My Life
A History
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3.6 • 321 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
In this remarkable memoir former Olympian and Kardashian family member Caitlyn Jenner reveals shocking and heartbreaking stories from her journey to become a transgender woman and fight for the LGBTQ+ community.
Imagine denying your core and soul. Then add to it the most impossible expectations that people have for you because you are the personification of The American Male Athlete.
Bruce Jenner, the celebrated Olympic icon and later the patriarch of one of the most famous families in the world, seemed to be living a dream life of success, fame, and prosperity. But the all-American image and million-dollar smile belied a lifelong struggle with gender dysphoria, and it wasn't until the sensational Diane Sawyer interview that the public mask of Bruce Jenner was finally retired, and through the memorable Vanity Fair piece by Buzz Bissinger, that Caitlyn Jenner was introduced to the world and set free to exist on her own terms. Since then, Caitlyn has undertaken an arduous emotional and physical odyssey to achieve the completeness she always felt was missing.
In The Secrets of My Life, Caitlyn reflects on the inner conflict she experienced growing up in an era of rigidly defined gender identities, and the cruel irony of being hailed by an entire nation as the ultimate symbol of manhood. She recounts her Olympic triumph, her rise to fame, and relates how her sense of frustration and shame grew with the passing years and the lengths to which she had to go to conceal her true self. Caitlyn in turn uncovers the toll that these personal struggles had on her three marriages and, subsequently, the relationships with her children. She also talks candidly about her life in the public eye as a member of the Kardashian clan, what led to her decision to become Caitlyn, and how she, her family, the transgender community, and the rest of the world has since embraced her new life.
Filled with incredibly personal and moving stories of struggle and victory, of anxiety and fear, and, finally, of surrender and acceptance, The Secrets of My Life reveals the real Caitlyn Jenner by tracing her long and eventful journey to becoming herself.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Athlete and reality TV star Jenner (Finding the Champion Within) teams up with Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) for a sincere though uneven tell-all autobiography. Jenner jumps back and forth among her childhood, her iconic Olympic decathlon win, and her subsequent fame, while keeping the central focus on her former secret: gender dysphoria and the steps she took to alleviate it, in and out of the public eye. Jenner attempts to explain transgender identification, but despite her candor and vulnerability, a lack of clarity may render her message difficult to grasp; for example, she says she has always been female while also describing herself pretransition as a man who wears a dress. Though she says she loves her trans community, this isn t a book for her trans critics, whose attitude she feels is hostile and exclusionary (she writes, we are all in this together, or at least we should be ). Jenner appeals to the reader s sympathies: self-deprecating humor abounds, and she shares frank, relatable anecdotes about depression and suicidal ideation. Readers will find her insight on O.J. Simpson fascinating ( he was the most narcissistic, egocentric, neediest asshole in the world of sports ), and fans of the Kardashian clan will take an interest in how Jenner describes her marriage to Kris Kardashian ( I am the product and Kris the agent and manager and negotiator ). While she won t win over her critics, her fans will appreciate this candid look into her life.
Customer Reviews
Bravo
Bruce, Caitlyn...Bravo both times!
Inspiring?
This person is really quite confused in his life. I found the story to be choppy and uninteresting. To me, he really appears to be a guy whom has two personalities and as a Doctor, battles schizophrenia. How a man whom obviously has many reasons for this transformation, including killing a woman in his vehicle, considered "courageous" is appalling.
I really liked watching Bruce on the Kardashians show. I did diagnose that he often used his passive aggressive personality trait to gain sympathy from his kids. He could not defend himself so he manipulated his children to gang up on her. Again, passively, it was his way or no way. Let's face it, Kris is an easy target.
I have never written a poor review on a book before and feel bad to gives a thumbs down but I just can't endorse a book that isn't truthful unless it's a fiction novel. I wish that he'd search himself and see professionals who have the courage to truthfully diagnose him and not go along with a partisan view.
I hope that you all have better luck than I did with it! Sorry for the long explanation!!
Just stop the BS
Go crawl under a rock and vanish.