BooksCanadian

Love Lives Here

A nonfiction book by Amanda Jett Knox.

Amanda Jett Knox

CBC Books Posted: Aug 20, 2019 11:51 AM EDT | Last Updated: January 8, 2020

All Amanda Jett 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. Jett 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, Jett 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, Jett 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 Hereis a beautiful story of transition, frustration, support, acceptance, and, of course, love. (From Viking)

Love Lives Hereis on theCanada Reads2020 longlist.The final five booksand their championswill be revealed onJan. 22, 2020.

Amanda Jett Knoxis a writer, activist and public speaker who lives in Ottawa.Love Lives Hereis her first book. She also blogs at The Maven of Mayhem.

From the book

She told me in the car.

Or rather, she didn'ttell me. Because it's what wasn't said that gave it all away the space between our words leaving a silence where you could almost hear our hearts break.

It's funny how much we remember about important moments. That night, a warm summer rain was tapping lightly against the car windows and I could smell the air conditioner as it worked overtime to push out the mugginess of early July. I could hear the splash of puddles as we made our way down the road toward our suburban neighbourhood. I remember how a bright-green grocery store sign lit up the car's interior as I turned and asked that one pivotal question, and how our ten-minute ride home ended up taking well over an hour.

FromLove Lives Hereby Amanda Jett Knox 2019. Published by Viking.

Interviews with Amanda Jett Knox

Out In The Open10:06Making space for mistakes and emotion in allyship

Over the past few years, Amanda Jette Knox's partner and child both came out as trans, and she came out as queer. That's made her think a lot about what it means to be an ally. She tells Piya what she's learned about the value of mistakes and emotion in one's attempt to be an ally, both from the perspective of being one, and having allies. This story first aired in October 2018.