Far From the Tree

This is a huge work of - what, social psychology? ethnography? I don't know. But it explores the idea of 'horizontal identities' (something that defines or affects your personal identity that you you don't share with your family), and how parents make peace with that (or not). The author himself is gay, and so that's the most obvious example - but covers a span of obvious and non-obvious experiences and conditions: deafness, dwarfism, trans people, prodigies, etc.

This is a TOME, and I only dipped into it and read the intro, and chapters about deafness and prodigies. But it's a challenging read, and not just in its length and content. As a father it's challenging to consider what's the range of 'horizontal' identities I expect from my children - and not just expect, but what I would accept, and what kind of relationship I want with them.

Noted on August 31, 2016