Dance Like a Trans Book Review: A Powerful Story of Identity, Courage, and Manjamma Jogathi
Some books you read to learn about a subject, and then there are books that help you understand people. Dance Like a Trans belongs undoubtedly to the latter.
When we first picked up this book, we expected it to tell us about the lives and experiences of transgender people, as the title suggests.
This book reminded us that every person deserves to be seen, heard, respected, and celebrated for who they are.
An Honest and Inspiring Memoir
One of the things we appreciated most about Dance Like a Trans is its honesty. We did not know a thing about Manjamma Jogathi, besides the fact that she was a prominent figure in the classical dance community belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, but after turning the last page, we were deeply engrossed in her life, her struggles, her loneliness, her achievements, and her pride. The book does not try to sensationalize her experiences or reduce to just her struggles alone. Instead, it presents her life in all its complexity, the moments where glimpses of her life were filled with dreams, disappointments, resilience, humour, courage, and hope.
More Than a Story About Gender Identity
The title itself feels symbolic. Dance, often associated with freedom, self-expression, and joy, and the story captures the struggles behind those emotions beautifully. The story boldly invites readers to understand the struggles of not fitting anywhere, the struggles of wanting to be loved but not knowing how, the struggles of always defining yourself, and the struggles of carrying pride.
What we took away from the book was the reminder that inclusion is not just about policies or celebrating Pride Month (by changing your company’s logo to a rainbow). It begins with empathy, with inclusion, with representation. Through Manjamma’s story and experiences, the book gently encourages readers to challenge their assumptions and look beyond stereotypes.
Writing That Connects With Every Reader
The writing is engaging and accessible, making it easy for readers from varied backgrounds to connect with the narrative. Whether you are already familiar with conversations around gender identity or are just beginning to explore them, this book offers an important perspective without ever feeling weird.
Is “Dance like a Trans” worth reading?
In a time when representation matters more than ever, Dance Like a Trans is a valuable and necessary read. It is a book about identity, dignity, acceptance, and courage, told from the life of Manjamma Jogati’s experiences. Most importantly, it is a book that invites us to approach one another with a little more kindness and understanding.
We closed the book with a greater appreciation for the diversity of human experiences and a renewed belief in the power of stories to build empathy. If you’re looking for your next Pride Month that talks about an identity that actually created a difference, whilst also explaining the challenges of the marginal communities, then you should add “Dance like a Trans” to your cart right away!
Looking for More Pride Month Book Recommendations?
“Dance like a Trans” is also a part of our Pride Recommendation Wall, a list of books from our community about representation, identity, and pride. You can check out the entire list here.
