Queer Reads: A trans man meets his teenage self in Edward Underhill’s ‘The In-Between Bookstore’
The In-Between Bookstore is the first novel for adults by Edward Underhill which comes out this week. Bookstore hits bookstores and online retailers on Tuesday, Jan.
14, from Avon Books. The story centers on a trans man in New York who—almost 30, laid off, broke—moves back to his small Illinois hometown, walks into the bookstore he worked at in high school and slips through time to come face-to-face with his pre-transition, teenage self.
About the book: One thing is familiar: In Between Books, Darby’s refuge growing up and eventual high school job. When he walks into the bookstore now, Darby feels an eerie sense of déjà vu — everything is exactly the same.
Even the newspapers are dated 2009. And behind the register is a teen who looks a lot like Darby did at sixteen. If he can figure out his connection to the past before it vanishes forever, may get the chance of a lifetime to examine his life and identity to find a new beginning. “Underhill skillfully employs a clever set-up and a queer lens to explore the deep changeswe all experience in growing up and the kindness and forgiveness we owe our younger selves.
