For Today I Am a Boy

Longlisted for the 2014 Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize
A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection for Spring 2014
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice

"Keep[s] you reading. Told in snatches of memory that hurt so much they have the ring of truth."
—BUST Magazine

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home."
—Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story."
—Publishers Weekly

"A young man [Peter] wrestles with gender expectations and his own gender identity in this quietly forceful debut...Peter’s search for a sense of normalcy—to finally become his female self—has a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned. A study of transexuality that’s shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one’s sexual self."
—Kirkus

“for readers seeking to better understand the trajectory of a young boy who knows he’s not like the other boys, this is a well-written and contemporary story.”
—New York Journal of Books

"a heartbreaking tale of a guy certain he's a girl."
—Cosmopolitan

"Overall Fu’s commentary is spot on, from her clear-eyed look at the repressive small town in which Peter grows up to her equally illusionless view of the urban, white, middle class LGBT activists Peter eventually encounters later in life. Yet her most remarkable achievement is in creating a quietly unforgettable character, one who is not meant to represent an 'average' or 'typical' trans life, but an individual one. This book brilliantly touches on many social issues, but it is also a story which shines all on its own. And Peter is a fully realized, fully unique character — one who will find his way into the hearts of readers everywhere."
—Bustle.com 

"For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change—of becoming, of overcoming—and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace."
—Justin Torres, author of We The Animals

 "A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read."
—Steven Galloway, Giller Award winning author of The Cellist of Sarajevo

"Fresh and pitch-perfect....A heart-searing twist on the coming-of-age tale.... Fu orchestrates a collision of culture, generation, gender and place, each crashing head on with her true observations and dark humor.... Immensely readable, and unquestionably human."
—Michael Christie, author of The Beggar’s Garden

"In For Today I Am a Boy Kim Fu gives us a memorable character trapped in the endless prism of identity. A thoroughly engrossing debut novel." 
—Hal Niedzviecki, author of Look Down, This Is Where It Must Have Happened

"For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change—of becoming, of overcoming—and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace."—Justin Torres, author of We The Animals

"[A] quietly forceful debut...[with] a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned....Shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one's sexual self." —Kirkus

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home." —Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story." —Publishers Weekly

"A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read." —Steven Galloway, Giller Award winning author of The Cellist of Sarajevo

"Fresh and pitch-perfect....A heart-searing twist on the coming-of-age tale.... Fu orchestrates a collision of culture, generation, gender and place, each crashing head on with her true observations and dark humor.... Immensely readable, and unquestionably human." —Michael Christie, author of The Beggar’s Garden

"In For Today I Am a Boy Kim Fu gives us a memorable character trapped in the endless prism of identity. A thoroughly engrossing debut novel."  —Hal Niedzviecki, author of Look Down, This Is Where It Must Have Happened

"A young man [Peter] wrestles with gender expectations and his own gender identity in this quietly forceful debut...Peter’s search for a sense of normalcy—to finally become his female self—has a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned. A study of transexuality that’s shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one’s sexual self." —Kirkus

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home." —Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story." —Publishers Weekly

"A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read." —Steven Galloway, Giller Award winning author of The Cellist of Sarajevo

"Fresh and pitch-perfect....A heart-searing twist on the coming-of-age tale.... Fu orchestrates a collision of culture, generation, gender and place, each crashing head on with her true observations and dark humor.... Immensely readable, and unquestionably human." —Michael Christie, author of The Beggar’s Garden

"In For Today I Am a Boy Kim Fu gives us a memorable character trapped in the endless prism of identity. A thoroughly engrossing debut novel."  —Hal Niedzviecki, author of Look Down, This Is Where It Must Have Happened

"For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change—of becoming, of overcoming—and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace."—Justin Torres, author of We The Animals

"[A] quietly forceful debut...[with] a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned....Shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one's sexual self." —Kirkus

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home." —Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story." —Publishers Weekly

"A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read." —Steven Galloway, Giller Award winning author of The Cellist of Sarajevo

"Fresh and pitch-perfect....A heart-searing twist on the coming-of-age tale.... Fu orchestrates a collision of culture, generation, gender and place, each crashing head on with her true observations and dark humor.... Immensely readable, and unquestionably human." —Michael Christie, author of The Beggar’s Garden

"In For Today I Am a Boy Kim Fu gives us a memorable character trapped in the endless prism of identity. A thoroughly engrossing debut novel."  —Hal Niedzviecki, author of Look Down, This Is Where It Must Have Happened

A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection for Spring 2014
A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice

"Keep[s] you reading. Told in snatches of memory that hurt so much they have the ring of truth."
—BUST Magazine

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home."
—Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story."
—Publishers Weekly

"A young man [Peter] wrestles with gender expectations and his own gender identity in this quietly forceful debut...Peter’s search for a sense of normalcy—to finally become his female self—has a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned. A study of transexuality that’s shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one’s sexual self."
—Kirkus

“for readers seeking to better understand the trajectory of a young boy who knows he’s not like the other boys, this is a well-written and contemporary story.”
—New York Journal of Books

"a heartbreaking tale of a guy certain he's a girl."
—Cosmopolitan

"Overall Fu’s commentary is spot on, from her clear-eyed look at the repressive small town in which Peter grows up to her equally illusionless view of the urban, white, middle class LGBT activists Peter eventually encounters later in life. Yet her most remarkable achievement is in creating a quietly unforgettable character, one who is not meant to represent an 'average' or 'typical' trans life, but an individual one. This book brilliantly touches on many social issues, but it is also a story which shines all on its own. And Peter is a fully realized, fully unique character — one who will find his way into the hearts of readers everywhere."
—Bustle.com 

"For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change—of becoming, of overcoming—and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace."
—Justin Torres, author of We The Animals

 "A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and culture in a unique and mesmerizing story populated with characters who are fragile and strong all at once, who invite us to become them as they struggle with who they ultimately are. An important and rewarding read."
—Steven Galloway, Giller Award winning author of The Cellist of Sarajevo

"Fresh and pitch-perfect....A heart-searing twist on the coming-of-age tale.... Fu orchestrates a collision of culture, generation, gender and place, each crashing head on with her true observations and dark humor.... Immensely readable, and unquestionably human."
—Michael Christie, author of The Beggar’s Garden

"In For Today I Am a Boy Kim Fu gives us a memorable character trapped in the endless prism of identity. A thoroughly engrossing debut novel." 
—Hal Niedzviecki, author of Look Down, This Is Where It Must Have Happened

A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Selection for Spring 2014

"For Today I Am a Boy is beautiful and captivating. Kim Fu reminds us that the human condition is one of change—of becoming, of overcoming—and this novel, in all its complexity, demonstrates how to do so with grace."
—Justin Torres, author of We The Animals

"[A] quietly forceful debut...[with] a redemptive trajectory that feels fully earned....Shot through with melancholy while capturing the bliss of discovering one's sexual self."
—Kirkus

"In this impressive debut, Fu sensitively and poetically portrays Peter’s predicament so that readers feel his discomfort with his own body as well as his painful sense of yearning and the plight of his three sisters, who scatter in all directions to escape their unhappy home."
—Library Journal

"Fu’s sharp eye and the book’s specificity of place (the Huangs live in small-town Canada, where Peter’s father does whatever it takes to fit in and the rest of his family lies to him) provide freshness. . . Although the focus is always Peter, Fu is adept at depicting the shifting alliances between him and his sisters, and at revealing how being an outsider shapes Peter’s expectations and options, which adds another layer to the story."
—Publishers Weekly

"A powerful first novel written with unwavering focus. Kim Fu explores the shape of gender and cul...