by Kim Fu

Recommended by Bif Naked

For Today I Am a Boy provides insights into experiences that may be unfamiliar to many of us. We are introduced to Peter Huang and his three sisters. Peter is the much desired son of a Chinese immigrant family, living in a small town in Ontario. Peter, however, knows from a very early age, that while his anatomy dictates that he is male, he is certain he is a girl.

Throughout this story, Peter struggles with his gender identity, fighting his ‘other’ self and failing at every turn. We experience Peter’s loneliness, depression, grief, and glimmers of joy when his true self emerges, often when he is alone and behind closed doors.

This book moved and touched me so deeply because Kim Fu has delicately created an incredibly sweet and sensitive character that drew me in and gave me a glimpse of the intimate narrative of his heart. And I loved his heart (and the author’s, for her use of language that was like beautiful lace).

Guest Reader, Bif Naked

Please note that this novel contains of scenes of sexuality as well as assault, and may be inappropriate for young readers. 

Click below to download the discussion guide.

Bif Naked

Bif Naked was born in India and raised in the United States and Canada, spending many of her formative years in Winnipeg. After fronting the underground bands Gorilla Gorilla and Chrome Dog, Bif became a prominent alternative artist, performer and songwriter. Her striking image, friendly personality and powerful live performances have had her appearing in concerts and festivals around the world. She has also appeared on film and TV, on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Bif recently released her memoir, I, BIficus, available everywhere books are sold. Bif lives in Vancouver, B.C. Follow her on Twitter @bifnaked.

About the Author

Kim Fu

Kim Fu’s debut novel For Today I Am a Boy was the winner of the Edmund White Award, finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award, a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice, and long-listed for Canada Reads, among other honors. Her first poetry collection How Festive The Ambulance was published in May 2016. Her nonfiction credits include The Atlantic, NPR Books, The Rumpus, Hazlitt, Maisonneuve, and republication in Best Canadian Essays. Fu has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, and lives in Seattle, Washington.