Falling Back in Love with Being Human

Letters to Lost Souls

By: Kai Cheng Thom

Narrated by: Kai Cheng Thom

Length: 1 hr and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A national bestseller in Canada, hailed by The New York Times as an “intimate expression of self-acceptance and forgiveness, tenderly written to fellow trans women and others.”

“Required reading.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 bestselling author of Untamed

A THEM AND AUTOSTRADDLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • FINALIST FOR THE PAT LOWTHER MEMORIAL AWARD

What happens when we imagine loving the people—and the parts of ourselves—that we do not believe are worthy of love?

Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she’s always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred.

But then Kai Cheng found herself in a crisis of faith, overwhelmed by the viciousness with which people treated one another, and barely clinging to the values and ideals she’d built her life around: justice, hope, love, and healing. Rather than succumb to despair and cynicism, she gathered all her rage and grief and took one last leap of faith: she wrote. Whether prayers or spells or poems—and whether there’s a difference—she wrote to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin. She wrote to flawed but nonetheless lovable men, to people with good intentions who harm their own, to racists and transphobes seemingly beyond saving. What emerged was a blueprint for falling back in love with being human.

©2023 Kai Cheng Thom (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[An] intimate expression of self-acceptance and forgiveness, tenderly written to fellow trans women and others.”—The New York Times

“This is a book, a really beautiful one, about holding onto your ideals through a crisis of faith.”—Bustle

“[An] incredibly moving collection of love letters to lost souls . . . [Kai Cheng Thom’s] effort to get back to the place of love she alludes to in the title results in a breathtaking book of formally diverse pieces—letters, prayers, spells, poems—that channel her grief and rage. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her simultaneous generosity and fierceness, as well as the sheer beauty of her words. This is another book on this list that has already achieved queer classic status.”—Autostraddle, (Best Queer Books of 2023)

A jolt to soul — a rare masterpiece

I don’t know what is this, but it wakes you up. These are poems new interpretations. Collings. This book is not for the faint of heart. Bravo and brilliant work. Courageous. Audacious. Each poem ends with the practical prompt for the soul to go beyond. 

Amazing

I loved everything about this book even though I’m still closer to the goddess of vengeance

Just what I needed to hear.

Kai Cheng Thom is amazing. This book is the perfect read for you if you’re going through a hard time feeling betrayed by someone you love/d or if you’re feeling alone in the world. You are not alone and these poems will help remind you of that. Listen with an open mind and an open heart.

transformative poetry

This book was a beautiful emotional journey. I found myself feeling loved, angry, guilty, ashamed, grieving and seen. These parts of me arose to the surface so I could offer them compassion. I'm reminded of why I love poetry and inspired to write my own

Absolutely amazing

This is absolutely amazing. This takes a lot at the worst parts of humanity and gives us a little bit of hope. Kai writes with so much passion and grace. Kai narrates the book perfectly. I highly recommend.

Touching to my soul in the best of ways that I needed.

I adored the transparency, vulnerability, the deep honoring, wisdom & the self - love in every story told.

A beautiful book you should read

I purchased this book outside of my audible credits and it was shockingly inexpensive for what I got out of it. It was like a relaxing massage. I wrote down all the prompts to do in the new year and I think reading this book will make my life better. Thank you for writing it <3