"Toey's Story" was developed from the true story of the author, a transgender growing up in Srisaket, one of the poorest provinces in Northeastern Thailand.
The book covers Toey's life from when she started school until she graduated from the university, entered the workforce, and started thinking about having a family of her own in her home country, where same-sex marriage is still an ongoing debate.
 
Back in those days when "gay" was deemed a psychological disease, the child grew up facing harsh rejection and prejudice from her family, friends, and society. The story shows the subtle conflicts between her identity and social norms in eight chapters as she ventures on different stages of life, through a lot of self-doubts and surrounded by daily microaggressions.
 
 
 
 
Selling points
 
🚩 Written from the real childhood story of a young transgender in one of the most underrepresented cultures in the children's publishing industry, Thailand.
 
🚩 The story is divided into basic stages of children's life (from primary school to secondary school and so on), which is easy for young readers to follow and empathise with.
 
🚩 Each chapter emphasises problematic gender norms surrounding school students that are often looked over.
 
 
About the Author
 
Toey (or Panod Srinual) is now a fierce activist who fights for a welfare state, gender equality, and same-sex marriage in the country. Another book of hers, "A Memoir of a Trans Woman in Northeast Thailand", is a longer version of this story with details of both the socio-economic struggles and identity crisis she faced growing up; her experience going through cyberbullying and bulimia; her life in a Muslim country like Brunei and stereotypes of Thais she encountered abroad. The book is intended for young adult readers and over.