Conundrum by Jan Morris

This is a really marvellous and interesting book. It is an autobiographical account of the author’s change from being male to female. She wrote formerly under the name ‘james Morris’ and became a woman as an already established writer and journalist.

She is an immensely civilized writer, as her books about Venice and Trieste attest. But what is so enjoyable about this one is her humanity and the practical, sensible way she addresses questions, whether of the heart, the body or the soul.

It is not a  long book but gives insights only available to someone who has lived, generously and well, as a man and as a woman. When there is a lot of hysterical nonsense talked about transgender people, this is an amusing and thoughtful counterpoint.