THE BEDSIDE READ

John Boyne adds his deft sensitivity to the complex topic of transgenderism in his book for young adults, My Brother’s Name is Jessica (Puffin, approx €11.99, out now). Thirteen-yearold Sam Waver idolises his big brother Jason. The boys are loved yet largely left to their own devices with their mum being a Cabinet Minister and dad her private secretary. It’s a problem for Jason, who, as the older of the two, notices they do not come first – home life is secondary for their parents. Sam is going through his own teenage issues when Jason makes an announcement, a personal revelation about changes of his own: he believes he has always been a girl, trapped inside a boy’s body. Naturally, this news causes some turmoil for the Waver family, who must adapt to Jason, now Jessica, and her transition and adjustment – and she to theirs. Sam is the young narrator, and though the story is very much seen through his innocence, its topics have a quiet maturity; the change, the loss, the new sister and daughter gained.