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Conundrum

This remarkable memoir is the classic account of the transgender journey. It is all the more extraordinary because it is the life story of a figure who, it seemed, seamlessly and publicly charted a course through the English establishment - James Morris, outstanding journalist, historian and travel writer, famed for a peerless writing style. But all the while he was concealing a very different inner world: from the age of four he felt that, despite his body, he was really a girl.

Determined to be true to an undeniable inner impulse, James Morris, in his 40s, became Jan Morris. It was the 1970s, a time and culture far from our 21st century, where such matters have now become commonplace. What was it that impelled him to take such a frightening and irrevocable step? He faced the mental and physical challenges - the operation had to be done in Morocco and, as a well-known figure, attention from the world media could not be avoided. What pressures would that put on the family - a loving wife and growing children living in a North Wales village? But that inner impulse could not be denied.

Jan Morris tells the story in a clear and honest manner, without a trace of sentimentality or sensationalism. She recounts the emotional, physical, sexual and social issues that abound on such a journey in detail and, through this highly personal memoir, presents a memorable insight into the 'conundrum'. Jan is modest by nature, and it is only by implication that one becomes aware of the immense courage and integrity needed to see the transition through.

This is a deeply moving, beautifully written, unforgettable memoir. Sensational - yes, in a quiet way. Revealing - yes; no punches are pulled. But in the end, it is humane and uplifting.

Jan Morris, now in her 90s, has written a new introduction for this recording. Roy McMillan has recorded Morris' major historical work, the Pax Britannica trilogy, and is the ideal reader for Conundrum.


Author:

  • Jan Morris

Narrator:

  • Roy McMillan

Format:

  • Audiobook

Duration:

  • 5 h 12 min

Language:

English

Categories:

  • Biographies
  • Autobiographies
  • Biographies
  • History, politics, and warfare
  • Society and Social Sciences
  • Society
  • Society and Social Sciences
  • Gender and LGBT

More by Jan Morris

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  1. Enigma

    Jan Morris, Ana Mata Buil

    book
  2. El Imperio veneciano: Un viaje por mar

    Jan Morris

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  3. La casa de una escritora en Gales

    Jan Morris

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  4. Venecia

    Jan Morris

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  5. Sultan in Oman

    Jan Morris

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  6. Trieste : Ou le sens de nulle part

    Jan Morris

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  7. Sultan à Oman : Récit d'un voyage historique

    Jan Morris

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  8. Europe in the Looking-Glass

    Robert Byron, Jan Morris

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  9. Farewell the Trumpets

    Jan Morris

    audiobook
  10. Pax Britannica

    Jan Morris

    audiobook
  11. Heaven’s Command

    Jan Morris

    audiobook

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  • 13 books

    Jan Morris

    Journalist, historian, and travel writer, Jan Morris is the renowned author of more than forty books. Her work ranges from such classics as Pax Britannica, The World of Venice, Hong Kong, and The Matter of Wales to the masterly essays published in Journeys, Destinations, and Among the Cities. She has also written a novel, Last Letters from Hav. An Honorary Litt.D. of the University of Wales and Glamorgan, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), she lives in Wales.

    Read more

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