Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, by Sarah McBride. Crown Archetype, 2018

Sarah McBride is the woman who was the first trans person to speak at a national political convention in 2016. She was only 26 at the time, but had lived a life packed with more events than many people get in a long life time.

Obsessed with politics since she was a child, she was student body president in college as well as being head of the student newspaper. She had worked on campaigns for local politicians already at this time. When she came out, she was lucky; her family was supportive (although shocked, and grieved the loss of their son for a while before realizing she was still the same person), the student body was supportive, and the politicians she knew were supportive. While it was by no means easy, she managed to avoid a lot of the problems some other trans people suffer- violence, loss of friends or family. And she is very aware of how lucky she is!

As soon as she was out of college, she began working in politics. There she met Andy Cray, a trans man who also worked in politics. They fell in love, and planned to make a life together. Then he was diagnosed with a fast moving cancer. After enduring grueling treatments, he died just four days after they were married.

McBride’s story is both inspiring and heart breaking. While this is her personal story, there is much of politics and trans issues in here, as well as basic LGBTQ rights. It’s a very informative book as to what LGBTQ people have to go through, how much they have gained legally and how far there is to go to achieve full equality. The book is well written- the author does a lot of writing professionally- and easy to read- the legal and political parts blend seamlessly with her personal life and do not bog the story down. I hope she has a long and happy life from here on out- one thing I’m sure of is that it will be a busy life!

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, by Natasha Pulley. Bloomsbury, 2015

 Thaniel Steepleton is a telegrapher at the home office, spending his working hours in a former broom closet, listening to the machines that have their wire tentacles all over Westminster. It’s a boring life. Then one night a bomb threat comes through, set for May. When he goes ‘home’- a Spartan room in a boarding house-he discovers his door open and a velvet box tied with ribbon and addressed to himself. In it is a fancy pocket watch of the finest work. Realizing it’s his birthday, he assumes his sister has been there and left it. When he sends a telegram to her in Scotland and she replies that of course she’s home and hasn’t been to London, the mystery begins.

Six months after this, he’s in a pub when the watch starts sounding an alarm. He goes outside to try and shut off the noise- and narrowly escapes an explosion. Obviously whoever gave him the watch knew when the explosion was set to happen. Thaniel is set by his superior to find where the watch came from, and then shadow him. So he ends up renting a room from the Japanese watchmaker who admits he made the watch. Keita Mori, a lonely man from Japan, doesn’t just make watches. He does all sorts of clockwork- his pet is a clockwork octopus that is supposed to act randomly- but keeps ending up hiding in Thaniel’s dresser drawer, stealing his socks.

Meanwhile, another narrative strand involves Grace Carrow, who is studying physics at Oxford, and has to dress as a man to gain entrance to the library. Her best friend is also from Japan, a dandy from a royal house. She has an inheritance, but her father won’t let her have it- until she marries. Which she doesn’t want to do.

Even more strands appear. I have to admit I was totally confused at several points. There is a supernatural element, making it even harder to figure out. But it all comes out in the end. It’s a steampunk story, a Victorian mystery, and a love story. It was totally engrossing, with a wonderfully created atmosphere, and great details- clockwork fireflies? Yes, please! The characters could have been filled out better; for as much page time as Thaniel gets, we don’t know much about his interests are or even how he spent his spare time before the novel starts! Still, five stars. 

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