As a Woman

What I Learned About Power, Sex, and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned

By: Paula Stone Williams

Narrated by: Paula Stone Williams

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

This moving and unforgettable memoir of a transgender pastor’s transition from male to female is an “audacious, gripping, and profoundly real journey that speaks to the mind, heart, and soul” (Joshua J. Dickson, director of Faith Based Initiatives, Biden Campaign) - perfect for fans of Redefining Realness and There Is Room for You.

As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of 60. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion.

Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image?

In As a Woman, Paula’s “critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed” (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) in order to fully understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human.

©2021 Paula Stone Williams. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"The gentle rasp in author Paula Stone Williams's voice speaks of how much she has used it as a minister, church leader, counselor, and singer. Her vocal control, specifically her alterations in pacing, intonation, and emphasis, reveals her remarkable intellectual curiosity and allegiance to honesty as she shares skillful observations of social relations in American culture. At one time, Williams was a white, male entrepreneurial evangelical minister who had access to all the privileges of the patriarchy. Having transitioned to female late in life, she now compellingly deconstructs those patriarchal privileges - ranging from male-centric biases to fashion chauvinism. In telling her personal story of transition, her attention to psychological and religious dynamics, as well as to gender realities and politics, leavens her excellent storytelling with wit and empathy." (AudioFile Magazine)

Heartfelt and inspiring

I loved this memoir by Paula Stone. Thank Paula you for sharing your incredible story with us. I listened to it on audio and could feel the emotion as it resignated throughout the book. I myself have an adult Trans son who welcomed me into his journey from the beginning. I am so grateful for the stories, for the lives lived, for the education, and the graciousness of those who continue to suffer with not only dysphoria, but with rejection. Praying that someday we will all just be the hands and feet of Jesus as we walk towards and welcome in all those on the margins. I will definitely be recommending this book to others!

Love

Love the book, it will stick with me for years.
Loved the idea of flow.
Loved all the complexity of issues described so eloquently.

Must read!

As a former evangelical and mother of a transgender girl, this book made so much sense to me. I never had a problem accepting my daughter and have been a fierce advocate for her from day one, but getting my privileged white teenager to understand how her world will suddenly change once she no longer resembles a white boy, has been the biggest challenge of my life. I hope that my child will read this book and understand how her life is about to change, for better and worst all at the same time.
Thank you Paula for sharing your experience as you help pave the way for transgenders like my daughter.

Very inspiring

The audio was easy to listen to. It was like the author was sitting at your kitchen table talking to you as a dear friend. It shows that even after transitioning, there are struggles and enjoyment, just like every other person. In some ways you find your life parallels that of the author. There is joy at the end of this book.

Very helpful in understanding

I recommend this book to people whose adult children are transitioning to help them understand what is happening. I have several clients like this, and I will recommend it to all of them.

Remarkable story of a remarkable woman.

I first heard of Paula Stone Williams when my therapist suggested I watch her first TED talk. Some time later I had the privilege of meeting her in person. I can affirm that she is as tender and kind in person as she comes across through media.

This beautifully written autobiography touched me deeply and in many different ways. Paula shares her questioning of her evangelical background and its affects on her. She talks freely about her gender identity and how it felt in various stages of her life. This helps me better understand my own transgender son. Her reminiscences of depression and suicidal ideation helped me process my own history of depression and my continuing struggle in the wake of my husband’s suicide. And her description of her mother’s narcissism, manipulation, and rejection felt very, very familiar.

Thank you Paula. Thank you for living out the authenticity you speak of and for sharing your heart in this book.

Worth listening to or reading

A valuable contribution to our understanding of the evangelical world and what it means to be transgender. Worth reading or listening to.

A must read for those on an authentic journey!

Read every line. Read in between and beneath every line. It has been decades since I have read such an authentic and soulful Book. Brilliant!

Enjoyable experience

I wish I can keep every single awe moment I experienced with her words fresh in my mind at any minute.
I appreciate the time and effort to share this peculiar experience about life in both genders; certainly it is very informative, unique, and very well explained.
Thank you Paula!

Delightful and insightful .

The performance was excited and the insight i gained definitely have me new view s f
Of others .