Geraldine: for the Love of a Transvestite

Published to tie in with the feature film, "Just Like a Woman", this is an autobiographical account of transvestism and transsexualism. The author, as a middle-aged mother of three grown-up children, divorced her husband after a long and bitter marriage and had to take in paying guests to fill her large and crumbling home. One of her lodgers, a young businessman, confessed to her that he was a transvestite, and after her initial reaction of shock and amusement, she tried to understand his condition and to help him. Introduced to the underworld of drag queens, bisexuals and transsexuals, she came to enjoy a triangular relationship with the lodger, Gerald, and his alter ego, "Geraldine", before facing reality again. Monica Jay is now registered with Birmingham Social Services as a counsellor for transvestites and their families, and also counsels for the Beaumont Trust and the Transvestite/Transsexual Support Group of London.