Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides follows Calliope Stephanides, the narrator, who was "born twice." Calliope, or Cal as they come to be known, is a hermaphrodite, born as female-presenting with undeveloped testes inside their body cavity. They grow up female-conditioned, and begin to feel disillusioned with themselves once they hit puberty. They are not growing the way that other girls are growing, and they're really not very sure that they want to, anyway. This story follows them and traces their family history back to what is likely the beginning of their genetic anomaly, the union of their grandparents (who happened to be siblings). Cal narrates the story with an eagle-eye view, inserting their opinions and current story through the weaving of their ancestral tale.
I loved this book. I was consistently wowed by Eugenides' use of language and his storytelling acumen. I know why this book has been recommended and recognized countless times since its publication. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration, the widening and tightening scope of the story as Cal narrates his family history over the years. One of the comments that I read was that this is a book about transitions, and it is very true. There are many transition dichotomies peppered throughout Middlesex, between generations, between families, between jobs, between genders--it is a book that is very focused on the move from one thing to another and how it defines one's identity. As someone who is moving through defining their own identity and understanding the identities of those she loves, I really connected to this theme in the book.
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