| Joy Timbrell had been married for over thirty | | | | others subjected to a similar trauma and also to |
| years, a housewife with a grown-up family, | | | | dispel the myths and misunderstanding surrounding |
| working part time as a medical secretary, a | | | | the condition. |
| magistrate and studying for an Open University | | | | Gender dysphoria is rare and it is not surprising |
| degree, when her husband, Christopher, told her | | | | that many people have never encountered a |
| that he was planning to become a woman. In that | | | | transgendered person and may be, therefore, |
| moment, totally unprepared for such a profound | | | | wary and unsure of how to react, something |
| revelation, her life was completely changed. | | | | which can cause extra problems for sufferers and |
| After some time, recovered from the initial | | | | their families. Whilst there is a certain amount |
| shock, at the urging of friends and with the | | | | written by transgendered people themselves, the |
| approval of her family, Joy decided to write a | | | | author discovered that there was little available |
| book about her effort, often hard but sometimes | | | | telling of the reactions of partners, either positive |
| humorous, to come to terms with her husband's | | | | or negative, and with this book she hopes to |
| decision and to recover her life. | | | | redress the balance by describing the experience |
| The book outlines the couple's lives before | | | | from a spouse's point of view. |
| Christopher's diagnosis of gender dysphoria, the | | | | Joy and Christine have taken part in television |
| medical condition in which the gender of the brain | | | | documentaries about gender dysphoria and |
| does not match that of the physical body. The | | | | appeared on ITV's Good Morning programme. |
| author then recounts the emotional difficulties that | | | | Christine has given talks to the medical profession |
| faced them both, before, during and after | | | | and to organisations which may have employees |
| Christopher/Christine's change of gender. | | | | transitioning and Joy has written articles for |
| However, the book was written in the hope of | | | | magazines. |
| providing some encouragement and comfort to | | | | |