Middlesex

Title: Middlesex

Author: Jeffrey Eugenides

Pages: 18 discs

Genre: Fiction

Grade: B

Synopsis: The story follows the family line of Cal Stephanides grandparents in Greece through her birth and re-birth into a young man once he discovers that he was a hermaphrodite. The story re-traces the path made by a single mutated gene that his grandparents carried with them across the ocean from Greece in the 1920's. When Cal (born Calliope) discovers the truth about his body, he runs away as he tries to figure out his place in the world.

My Review: This book was long enough and the stories (from Greece in the 1920's to the modern-day) were diverse enough that it felt like I was reading a couple of different books. However, I enjoyed really getting to know the Stephanides family from the grandparents and parents to Cal himself.

Disclaimer: As you can imagine, a book about a hermaphrodite discovering their sexuality requires some short graphic descriptions. However, I felt that everything was done in a tasteful way.