It’s a beautifully written story of love, honesty, life decisions that can never be taken back, and pride in who you are and what you are, no matter who says you can’t be or shouldn’t be. It’s also… unfortunately…a story of hate, and the destructiveness of intolerance and betrayal. The author shares so much of her real life experiences with her fictional character of Nickie Farrell. There are parts of the story that will make you laugh and smile… parts that will make you want to scream… parts that will make you cry …and parts that you will smile at the courage shown by this professor who dared to say “I am who I am and proud of it”. Not a book that everyone will enjoy, or agree with… but it brings a message that will stay with you forever. One of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. ( )

Intriguing! Honest! Refreshing!

My first thought when I saw the high ratings for “She’s My Dad” was the author must have a lot of friends--the book cannot be that good. And, even though I do review books I am happy to report that all the reviews are accurate. There’s no fudging on this one.

“She’s My Dad” is not what I expected it to be. It is not a journey of mismatched sour romances; nor it is a book of soul searching, familiar movies, or transsexuals. Even though the book does have a transsexual person in it, it is not about the process or the whys and whatnots. It is a modern day allegory that shows the inside truth of people set in a northern Virginia college town. The college openly accepts everyone through their doors who wants an education; but, there are some people who were bred in Southern tradition and are set about what they feel should be right and proper—and, they are not happy about Windfield College. And, they plan to do something about it.

This book is as fun as it is smart. It is not written in the typical fifth-grade English that most novels today are. Actually, there are interesting words that pique one’s curiosity of how the characters interact with each other; however, not so many as to bog down the flow of the storyline. In addition to the intelligence of the book, it is witty, clever, and engaging—full of suspense and mystery. Ms. Woulff has an amazing ability to paint the character portraits with incredible sharpness and clarity so you don’t lose sight of who is doing what.

What further surprised me was the interesting storyline. I certainly was not expecting sub-plots that involved big ugly brutes and wealthy crime bosses who were involved in home-grown terrorism. There are many interesting side stories that puzzle into the main characters’ lives and plot of the book. Every one of them is clearly defined and is woven ever so carefully into the climax of the novel. Normally, this type of literature (crime, guns, things that go boom, etc.) does not interest me; but, this was so well written I could not put it down. The more I read, the hungrier I got.

Be forewarned that there are a few characters that use foul language occasionally; and, there are some scenes that are briefly sexual. That being aside, considering the sensitive nature of some of the material, I felt, it was handled with great care.

Overall, I absolutely loved the book! Loved it! The message it brings us is so important—so necessary, that I wish it were in every library, college, and bookstore in America. Better than that—it really needs to be a movie.

Note: I'd like to thank both Iolanthe Woulff for this lovely copy of "She's My Dad" and Review the Book.com for this opportunity. ( )

Astonishing clever book~~entertaining, interesting, shocking and an easy read. It's no wonder "She's My Dad" was chosen as a "Finalist - Next Generation Indie Book Awards."

Iolanthe Woulff gives a shadowy window into the little-known world of the transsexual in the most liberal of environments, a college created by a gay man for "alternate lifestyle" learners and educaters.

With honesty and no-uncertain-terms storytelling, Ms Woulff shares what appears to be her personal experiences with both the homosexual lifestyle and the challenges of life as a transsexual.

While her writing is sound and intelligent, with characters believable for the most part, I found the main character, transsexual professor, Nickie Farrell, somewhat flat and lacking. We do get her reactions and relationships to the college people around her, but Nickie's personal background...the hows and whys of how she made the choice for her transformation and the challenges of that journey, are glaringly absent. I was left wanting more. Her swift dismissal of emotional "hits" and her oddly superficial reactions of running away for a few days and having brief talks with her friend leave Nickie rather an empty shell.

"She's My Dad" contains strong language and imagery that seems geared toward those who are familiar with a darker side of life, or have experienced it personally. There is much having to do with the downside of homosexuality and violence surrounding it. However, here is where Ms Woulff's strongest and most realistic writing emerges! And, in my humble opinion, I think she has the makings of a fabulous Stephen Kingish author.

In conclusion, though I would not recommend this book for all readers, I have to applaud Ms Woulff for her courage in bringing us this book about the life of a transsexual. It is a timely and important story. It carries the hope of understanding, acceptance and love for all kinds of people no matter what they are inside and out.

The Bookish Dame/Deborah P. ( )

You know the old adage about never judging a book by it's cover? Well, this is one of those instances where I found myself twice passing over what turned out to be a wonderful novel. The title is cute and kind of catchy, but it doesn't at all reflect the depth of the story within. With She's My Dad you get the literary equivalent of the kind of prime time drama you might find on Showtime, HBO, or the BBC.Much of the story revolves around a conflict between Windfield College (a wonderfully diverse institution where the LGBTQ community is not just welcome, but founding members) and the surrounding conservative North Virginia town. Key characters include Nickie Farrell (the school's first transsexual professor), Collie Skinner (the son she doesn't know she has), Cinda Vanderhart (the lesbian student journalist who 'outs' the professor and her secrets), Jo Markwith & Alex Steward (faculty members in love with Nickie), and Eamon Douglass (the dying ambassador who wishes to bring down Nickie, the college, and everything it stands for). Like any good prime time drama, there's an equal mix of soap opera, mystery, and thriller involved. Highly Recommended! ( )

Oh my gosh, this book was amazing! I just couldn't put it down once I'd started it. The subject matter was one I was already familiar with, but it's written in a way that people who don't already have knowledge about transgendered men and women (or the GLBT community in general) can easily understand.Essentially, it's a story about hate and what it does to people when left to fester out of control. Its this author's first work, but it's very well done, and I'd recommend it to anyone that's ever felt discriminated against for any reason. ( )