Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars draws from the conventions of multiple literary genres to share the story of the narrator and the other trans women of the Street of Miracles. Most notably, it subverts typical expectations of the transgender memoir. This intention becomes clear in the opening pages, as the narrator reacts angrily to a famous trans woman receiving an award on television. To the narrator, this woman’s story represents the kind of homogenized transgender success story that cisgender people love to celebrate. She considers smashing the TV, but after realizing that all trans women are sisters despite their differences, she blows the televised woman a kiss instead. Still, her anger is so great that the kiss shatters the TV. This literal rupture announces the book’s core project—to tell a different kind of trans story, a story of “dangerous” trans women who have more radical goals than to assimilate into the American middle class. In a letter to readers of Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf book club, Thom explains, “For many generations, trans writers have been pigeonholed into writing memoirs that are intended to educate cis people about the reality of trans life.” Thom’s goal was to write a fictional transgender memoir aimed first and foremost at trans readers—one that leaves room for a wider range of imaginative possibilities.

The shattered television also announces the book’s investment in magical realism. The narrator’s story is set in a fantastical world, with locations like the perpetually cloudy town of Gloom and the bright, bustling City of Smoke and Lights. There are incredible characters with magical abilities and appearances, like the impossibly large Rapunzelle and Alzena the Witch, who is able to cast spells and see the future. Yet, even while incorporating these elements of fantasy, the narrator’s story also still feels wholly believable. It emphasizes the very real themes of self-love, personal growth, and community, thus exemplifying the genre conventions of magical realism.

The text also stands as an example of the letter-writing or epistolary novel, as every section ends with a letter written by the narrator to her younger sister, Charity. These letters serve a dual purpose: They demonstrate the character development of both the narrator and Charity, and they summarize important themes from the narrative for the reader. As the narrator grows and changes throughout the story, learning more about herself, she shares these realizations with her sister via letter. At the same time, though the reader does not see the letters written by Charity, the narrator’s responses call attention to the ways that Charity is changing as well. When the narrator shares her experiences and reflections with Charity, she is also providing useful insight into the important ideas she and her fellow trans women are grappling with in their day-to-day lives.