Throughout the writing and editing process of And She Was, the importance of ensuring this story is as authentic and truthful as possible never left my mind. Though Mellie Baker is a fictional character, she is representative of millions of very real individuals—individuals who may have had experiences similar to hers, and individuals whose stories are vastly different. While I am part of the LGBTQ+ community, I am cisgender, which means I’ve had a responsibility to go above and beyond any typical level of research in order to do Mellie’s story justice. From the very bottom of my heart, I want to thank the transgender community (including my brilliant sensitivity readers) for sharing your experiences—in your books and essays and on television and in your podcasts and in one-on-one conversations.

If you’ve read any of my previous work, you’ve probably noticed that I write a lot about family and identity and acceptance. I believe fiction has the capacity to change the world. Those of us who worry we may be alone in our feelings and realities often find comfort and strength in seeing ourselves reflected in the pages of a novel. And those of us who are seeking to understand other viewpoints are given the opportunity to connect with characters in novels and get a glimpse of the world through someone else’s eyes. For these reasons, and many more, it was imperative to me that this book not be told strictly through Dara’s point of view. Incorporating the perspective of an adult character into a young adult novel is a bit nontraditional, but, in this case, crucial. In the past, books tackling LGBTQ+ issues were primarily told solely through the points of view of straight and cis characters, thereby “othering” the very characters who the stories were about. I’m grateful I’ve had the opportunity to embrace Mellie’s voice in this story.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed And She Was, and I also hope you’ll consider reading books, both fiction and non-fiction, written by transgender authors. Here are just a few books on trans topics that I have read and enjoyed and recommend to readers. Happily, there are more being published every day.

George by Alex Gino

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock

She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, edited by Laura Erikson-Schroth

If you are a transgender or gender-nonconforming teen who is looking for someone to talk to, visit glaad.org/transgender/resources for an extensive list of resources and organizations.