So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color

Voices of Self Identified persons in the Queer Spectrum, covering every topic one can imagine.Raw, breath-taking, tear dropping, laugh engaging, stories. Human stories. Yes based identity, sexuality, transitioning, living in truth. Their truth.As every person has gone through sexual and identity development, their stories are not unlike any developing persons stories. The difference is the open vulnerability to admit to alcoholism suicide, drug addiction, still not unlike any young persons thoughts and triggers in developing.Each story each entry is riveting, engaging.If we could all read this, accept everyone and live. Live share love, share experiences and stop over burdening ourselves in his people choose to exist.People, thoughts, activities evolve.We as a whole should evolve.

✨Am I glad I read it? Oh wow, did I love this, my first oral history.This is the kind of book that makes you clutch your chest with feeling: with grief (“The AIDS crisis” chapter); with wonder (“What Is Gender?”); with hope (“Thoughts for Younger Generations”); with awe (“Activism”). Never have I felt my own gender apathy so much as I did listening to the varied, expansive ways these elders talk about their gender identities and presentations. As a cis woman, I have had neither reason nor context to imagine my self and my gender with the kind of freedom and boldness they describe in the “What Is Gender?” chapter, my favorite of the book.I suspect that de Robertis’ choice of structure—the book is arranged thematically rather than by interviewee—will be a big hit-or-miss for a lot of readers. The book is essentially an organized collection of testimony excerpts, stitched together into an experience that feels like listening quietly to a group of old friends conversing about their lives. I initially had difficulty keeping track of all the interviewees and their respective stories (undoubtedly made more difficult because I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by de Robertis). By the end of the book, however, I found the structure not only a non-issue but really engaging and quite powerful.This preservation of queer history and wisdom and love feels so, so necessary now more than ever. Trans people have always been here, caring for each other and making way for the trans kids who follow them.My heart and world feel bigger for having read this.☝🏻A practical note for anyone listening to the audiobook: the interviewee’s name comes first, then their quote.✨Rating: 💙 (loved)

4.0 This book felt like sitting in on a long, moving conversation, sometimes joyful, sometimes heavy, but always rich with humanity. Told through oral histories, it offers a deeply personal archive of queer and trans elders of color whose voices are too often left out of history books. At over 400 pages, the format was new for me, and I found myself gravitating toward specific voices that mirrored or challenged my own perspectives.📚 What Stood Out:🧵 Fragmented and Whole – Each voice is a thread in a larger tapestry, giving both a wide-angle view and a deeply intimate one. The structure, with chapters marked by life phases, makes this a powerful tool for empathy and education.💬 Conversational Format – While the oral history approach made it harder to read cover to cover, it shines when used as a reflective, thematic reader. This is a book I’ll return to in pieces, especially when I want to better understand the lived experience of someone whose identity is different from mine.🌟 Empathy Archive – At its core, this is a book about listening. It’s an invitation to slow down and hear stories that built the groundwork for today’s queer and trans youth of color.💬 Final Take:This is less a linear story and more a constellation of lives, each star contributing to a larger truth. It’s essential reading for those who want to listen, learn, and better understand the rich, complex legacy of queer resilience.

This volume of the voices of twenty trans, NB, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit older adults of color should be required reading for trans and gender-expansive youth and young adults, because these are folks who helped make the lives of those who came after possible. This book should be read by every audience, quite frankly, for what these beautiful people have to share with the world about humanity, unconditional love, and the importance of unapologetically demanding freedom and power over our own lives. Mil gracias, Caro de Robertis.