Fairest

A Memoir

By: Meredith Talusan

Narrated by: Meredith Talusan

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

Finalist for the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Nonfiction

"Talusan sails past the conventions of trans and immigrant memoirs." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A ball of light hurled into the dark undertow of migration and survival." (Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous)

A singular, beautifully written coming-of-age memoir of a Filipino boy with albinism whose story travels from an immigrant childhood to Harvard to a gender transition and illuminates the illusions of race, disability, and gender.

Fairest is a memoir about a precocious boy with albinism, a "sun child" from a rural Philippine village, who would grow up to become a woman in America. Coping with the strain of parental neglect and the elusive promise of US citizenship, Talusan found childhood comfort from her devoted grandmother, a grounding force as she was treated by others with special preference or public curiosity. 

As an immigrant to the United States, Talusan came to be perceived as white. An academic scholarship to Harvard provided access to elite circles of privilege but required Talusan to navigate through the complex spheres of race, class, sexuality, and her place within the gay community. She emerged as an artist and an activist questioning the boundaries of gender. Talusan realized she did not want to be confined to a prescribed role as a man, and transitioned to become a woman, despite the risk of losing a man she deeply loved. 

Throughout her journey, Talusan shares poignant and powerful episodes of desirability and love that will remind listeners of works such as Call Me By Your Name and Giovanni's Room. Her evocative reflections will shift our own perceptions of love, identity, gender, and the fairness of life.

©2020 Meredith Talusan (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

Selected as a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by:

O: The Oprah magazine 

Bitch 

The Millions 

LitHub 

Electric Lit 

BuzzFeed 

The Rumpus 

Paste  

Asian Journal

"A marvel of a story wrought with near-archeological precision and deep inquiry into history, hope, joy and human redemption. An artist’s statement that offers new ways to think and feel in bodies cast ashore, Fairest is a ball of light hurled into the dark undertow of migration and survival. It is also funny, utterly alive, and fashioned with care and hope." (Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous)

"A searching, rigorously self-examining memoir, Fairest grapples beautifully and seriously with questions of gender, race, colorism, migration, colonialism, queerness, privilege, class, and belonging. A debut luminous with insight." (R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries)

Amazing, eye opening, heartbreaking and healing

I loved this book more than I imagined I would. Meredith takes you on a journey, uncovers unknown sides of life and isn't afraid of being bloody honest and raw. I don't think I've ever read a book which made me so constantly mind blown. Her perspective is unique and so very reflexive and observant. I can not recommend this book enough.

Not that I was expecting but still a journey

I was curious about this book when I read what it was about but when I started listening to the story Meredith told was informative but seemed a tad self-centered and narcissistic. ALTHOUGH I did appreciate the hard core honesty

An emotional ride

Listening to the varied paths of Meredith’s life, the lives touched and changed, and her feelings over all that had taken place was honestly an experience I will sit with for awhile. I cried more than I had expected to, but it was worth every tear to experience this engaging woman’s story.