Cherry
Single: A Transvestite Comes of Age
Fiction by Valory
Gravois
Copyright 1997, 175 pages, $12.95
Alchemist/Light Publishing
ISBN 0-9600650-5-9
Note:
Cherry Single was written by this web site's reviewer,
Valory Gravois. The capsule review was written by Valory and the
main review is a series of short reviews by others. If you wish,
you may proceed
directly to read the novel.
Capsule: David Nunley is single, holds a boring government job, moonlights as an underground photographer, and loves to dress in his girlfriends' clothes. Underneath, things aren't quite so rosy: his father hates effeminate men and David worries about getting caught dressing. Two women -- Corky, with a mysterious past, and Diane, an adventurous photographer -- enter David's life as he begins to come out of the closet. Sexuality mixes with spirituality as he walks an oftentimes unmarked trail, finally meeting the earthy Patricia Wending well along the way. Will David pull off his high wire balancing act, or will he crash and burn?
Reviews (edited for brevity)
Sharon Stuart, transgender rights advocate: "Cherry Single ... confronts transvestite sexuality without flinching and without gratuity ... At last, a serious work of fiction about a character we can believe in, experience pain and joy with ... and feel good about. ... The hero/ine, David and Natalie Nunley ... takes a journey that many emerging crossdressers will relate to ... [Cherry Single] delivers an afterglow that lasts for a week -- a crossdressing journey with a happy ending."
Pamela Degroff, book reviewer, Xenogeny newspaper: "It's a rare occasion when one gets to read a work of fiction that could have been based ... on your own life. Cherry Single ... is such a book. The writer skillfully weaves threads that are common to any transgendered experience into the cloth from which David Nunley, the main character, is cut ... The realism of the story will be immediately apparent to anyone who is transgendered ... The strength of Cherry Single is found in the way the writer develops David Nunley's personality and character. Those of us who are transgendered have had to deal with the same issues that are raised ... Seize the opportunity to read this book."
Gianna E. Israel, transgender counselor: "David, the main character, explores many of the nuances associated with crossdressing. Like many crossdressers he truly seems in conflict ... This hot and steamy read is perfectly suitable for curling up at home on a snugly Saturday afternoon."
Elizabeth Parker, online book reviewer: "[This is] ... very well-written mainstream fiction which realistically explores a transvestite's efforts to come to terms with his sexuality ... Instead of going for cheap thrills, which we already have plenty of, Valory has written an unapologetic novel which explains the hero's lifestyle, but in a way which will not turn off the general populace."
Mariette Pathy Allen, photographer of the transgender community: "... the eroticism in [Cherry Single] ... feels like an honest depiction of the feelings and fantasies of many crossdressers, especially those in the early stages of self-discovery ... There is enough variety and detail in this book to entertain a range of crossdressers from the most fetishistic to the Tri-Ess stalwart."
Sheila Kirk, M.D., transgender author and lecturer: "[Cherry Single's] appeal to the novice and the reluctant in heart is real and can support the Trans person afraid to acknowledge the Spirit and need within. The denial and the burden we all carry for ... portions of our lives has to be done away. This work can certainly help."
Dr. John Money, founder of the Gender Identity Clinic at John Hopkins University and Professor Emeritus of Medical Psychology: "Here is ... [a] novel that opens a window of insight into ... gender-crossing."
Amy Sakurai, book reviewer for Northwest Passages, the newsletter of the Northwest Gender Alliance: " ... there are so few literary works featuring sympathetic characters of our ilk ... Cherry Single is a literate, accessible effort well above the improbable fantasy stories which are the standard fare in our community."
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