Love Lives Here

By: Amanda Jette Knox

Narrated by: Amanda Jette Knox

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

NATIONAL BEST SELLER

An inspirational story of accepting and embracing two trans people in a family - a family who shows what's possible when you "lead with love".

All Amanda Jetté Knox ever wanted was to enjoy a stable life. She never knew her biological father, and while her mother and stepfather were loving parents, the situation was sometimes chaotic. At school, she was bullied mercilessly, and at the age of 14, she entered a counselling program for alcohol addiction and was successful. 

While still a teenager, she met the love of her life. They were wed at 20, and the first of three children followed shortly. Jetté Knox finally had the stability she craved - or so it seemed. Their middle child struggled with depression and avoided school. The author was unprepared when the child she knew as her son came out as transgender at the age of 11. Shocked, but knowing how important it was to support her daughter, Jetté Knox became an ardent advocate for trans rights.

But the story wasn't over. For many years, the author had coped with her spouse's moodiness, but that chronic unhappiness was taking a toll on their marriage. A little over a year after their child came out, her partner also came out as transgender. Knowing better than most what would lie ahead, Jetté Knox searched for positive examples of marriages surviving transition. When she found no role models, she determined that her family would become one. 

The shift was challenging, but slowly the family members noticed that they were becoming happier and more united. Told with remarkable candour and humour, and full of insight into the challenges faced by trans people, Love Lives Here is a beautiful story of transition, frustration, support, acceptance, and, of course, love.

©2019 Amanda Jette Knox (P)2019 Penguin Random House Canada

Love Grows

I won't be able to adequately voice what this book means to me and why you should purchase it. If you are transgender, an ally, unsure or even opposed, you should read this book. It's not about moving beyond the subject, it's about embracing it and learning from it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Exceptional & Enlightening

Jetté Knox has written a proudly authentic and deeply moving memoir allowing us as readers to really get to know each of her family members in an intimate and real way. She speaks candidly about how they arrived at the present moment, with all the twists and turns that reflect the reality of life: nothing is a straight path (pun intentional).

For those of us who have lived similar journeys, you will find much identification. For those just beginning to learn about how gender really exists as a lived experience or are looking for a model on how to be a strong ally to GNC/NB and trans folk, this will definitely offer you a good place to start.

I wish that everyone could read this book - I believe that it would relieve so much of the ignorance that drives the fear and bigotry that produces.

Glad and grateful for authors like this who are willing to do the exceptionally courageous work of sharing their stories in this way.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

An exceptional book

This is a really powerful, well told recording. I'm so glad that Ms. Knox wrote this book and that I purchased it! I would highly recommend it to anyone who is, knows, will work with, teach or otherwise interact with a trans child, teen or adult. There was so much emotion and depth to this eye opening story that it really affected me emotionally. The journey went places I would never have expected and it really kept me engaged throughout the entire journey. Amanda - thank you so much to opening up to us like you have. I'm certain it will make a difference to a lot of people.

Fantastic! Courageous! An inspiration!!!

Thanks so much for having the courage to tell us your family's story. I didn’t want the book to end, even though I cried during every chapter I listened to.

a must read for all

great story. well written. beautiful message
I highly recommend for everyone lgbtq and Allies will all appreciate the story.

Visibility at it's Most Vibrant

Amanda makes me wish I lived near Ottowa so I could have someone like her to talk about my life as a mother of a trans child with... someone who gets it beyond the clinical level. I wish she would be my new best friend. At least I can open her book whenever I need a reminder that I'm not destroying my child by affirming her self identity. Thank you!

Brilliant! 💜💜💜

Lovely, beautiful read. Enjoyed this book so much it was hard to put it down. Such a pleasure and gift to be allowed inside this family’s life as they underwent so much change. Valuable learning experience for me as well. Loved it! Can’t wait to read more from Amanda. 💜

A deeply moving portrait of a family in transition

A must for anyone who knows a trans person, or wants to learn about them. Amanda is a marvellous storyteller; both in the written word, and now as a narrator. As a trans person myself, I feel she captured the emotions, the struggles, the hopes, and fears of the transition to living as our true selves.

She pulls no punches in the telling, even when they paint her in an unfavourable light. Her candour is, and the emotional way that she presents her family's life and transition is wonderfully refreshing.

You will laugh with her, cry with her, and hopefully empathise with her and her family. This is what allyship looks like. It's not always perfect. It's not always pretty. But it's honest, and she and her family exemplify her motto.

Lead With Love. We should all try to do more of that.

Trans activism and education at its best

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, and it was everything I wanted it to be. Knox does an excellent job of making this book biographical while also giving the readers space to learn and reflect on their own views of the trans community. The book shows exactly why books like this still need to be written and shows how people can come to terms with their own privilege and cis-ness while being activists and allies with the trans community.

The book every school library & home should have!

This book is so goddamn lovely. I cannot express how much it has taught me about love, and about acceptance and how sometimes it isn't an easy journey.
Every school should have it, to teach children that it is ok to one: Be gay and two: Be trans and three: To not have the a-typical nuclear family. It doesn't mean love is less seen there.
The Knox family, honestly, are idols. <3
Please listen to this book, and learn something about love you never thought you needed to learn until now.

Words cannot describe this emotional epic journey!

I started listening to this book last night and i have not been able to put it down until now.

Dear Fort Knox Family

Thank you for taking a stand, thank you for creating a platform where people can relate and learn. Thank you for your inspirational journey!

I am so happy you all got your happy ending. I cant think of more loving and deserving people. I am honestly struggling to find the words in which to describe how I am feeling after having finished your book.

AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!!!