Rosie and Penn always wanted a daughter. Four sons later, they decide to try one last time - and their beautiful little boy Claude is born. Life continues happily for this big, loving family until the day when Claude says that, when he grows up, he wants to be a girl.
As far as Rosie and Penn are concerned, bright, funny and wonderful Claude can be whoever he or she wants. But as problems begin at school and in the community, the family faces a seemingly impossible dilemma: should Claude change, or should they and Claude try to change the world?
Warm, touching and bittersweet, THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is a novel about families, love and how we choose to define ourselves. It will make you laugh and cry - and see the world differently.
I really enjoyed this book. The story revolves around a family whose youngest child is struggling with their gender identity. It was thoughtful and insightful seeing how it impacts the whole family and their world. It was particularly interesting seeing how everyone else around the family treats Claude once he starts to become Poppy from complete acceptance to cruel and unkind treatment. It made me really think about how some people don't have an issue treating other appallingly just because of a difference. At the end of the day the world is full of people and no one can ever understand why someone thinks and feel the way that they do and actually they don't really need to as long as they can accept that difference and treat that person with kindness and tolerance.
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