In the last year or so, I've been thinking more about representation in my English curriculum and trying to find more oral histories to make the texts more inclusive and diverse. When I saw "So Many Stars", I jumped at the chance to read it.

As part of The Baldwin-Emerson Elders Project established by Jacqueline Woodson, "So Many Stars" details the lives of elder folk in the queer space, from a wide range backgrounds. Robertis describes it as, "a collective story of how trans and gender-variant people of color defied society's notion of gender and race to innovate cultural spaces where they--and future generations--could more fully exist."

This book is invaluable as a resource for creating empathy--the stories within are heartbreaking, harrowing, hopeful, and heartfelt. The book takes the reader through the lives of the interviewees, from their earliest memories all the way to their hopes for the future. Each chapter is organized by a specific topic/life event, such as transitions, gender, love/relationships, coming out, and activism. I appreciated the stories, the messaging, the representation, and the call to action at the end.

However, this book was difficult to read because of the choice of structure. I enjoyed the chronological order of the book, but the disjointed narrative of each person didn't work for me. Each chapter is organized by topic, as I mentioned before, but the reader only learns a small part of the each individual's story before moving to the next person's. When the interview question likely changes, you circle back through the same individual's again, picking up where they left off several pages prior. While I could see how this could work to illustrate the parallels between each person's life and arrive at conclusions/generalizations, it diminished the importance of the individual for me. With so many stories and people, I wish each chapter had a complete narrative from each person as it relates to the topic of the chapter before moving to the next person's complete narrative. I'm not sure I could retell any one individuals' experience by the end of the book.

I do see this as an important work in documenting the lives of elder LGBTQIA+ and creating empathy. But I could see this as being more successful in an audio format or written in a different structure to let the voices of each person shine.

Gratitude is the word for the existence of this book! So Many Stars gathers critical voices of trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and two-spirit identity to reflect on several themes. Perhaps the organization of the book was one of the biggest surprises for me: de Robertis combines snippets of interviews beneath themes both large in small. In part one, titled “Emergence” we learn about “glimmers in childhood,” “family matters,” and “first ventures.” There are ways this style worked and didn’t for me as a reader: at times the snippets build a collective voice, with the editors arranging parts of the interview to show parallel or contrasting experiences, to celebrate triumphs. These were my favorite moments. However, at times I got a bit lost in the maze, and wanted to dive deeper in a voice and get to know the speakers better. I kept flipping to the back to look at bios to remind myself which voice belonged to which pioneer. That said, it’s a gem of a book and one that I know will@have incredible impact.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

So Many Stars is a powerful and necessary collection that captures the voices and lived experiences of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and Two-Spirit people of color through an oral history format. The stories shared in this book are deeply moving, honest, and illuminating. I’m so grateful to Caro De Robertis for taking on this monumental and essential project. The representation here is profound, these voices matter, and this book ensures they are seen, heard, and honored.

What held me back from giving it a full five stars was the way the narratives were organized thematically. While that structure allowed for deep dives into topics like childhood, chosen family, activism, and more, it also made it more difficult to follow individual voices across chapters. I found myself wanting to connect more deeply with each person’s full arc, to really get to know them beyond snippets tied to themes. Once I let go of trying to track who was who across the entire book and just appreciated each story in the moment, the reading experience became more enjoyable.

That said, the thematic organization is still a valid and thoughtful choice, especially for highlighting the richness and diversity of experiences around specific aspects of identity and community. Ultimately, this is a deeply meaningful and important contribution to queer and trans history, and one I’m very glad to have read.

oh, this one sucks to write. i love caro de robertis and the subject matter is, quite frankly, my jam. but i'm going to start this review by saying that i think it could have benefited from a different construction in writing.

what we receive are separate chapters on so many different topics - family, transitioning, the aids crisis, coming out, etc. however it got a bit confusing for me as the input that was received from the various people interviewed for this work was thrown in willy nilly. it often felt like scrolling a social media feed - a serious subject matter with not a ton of rhyme or reason as to how the stories were constructed. imo, i'd have prefered a chapter per person, hitting each topical point, but alas we were served a documentary in an unconsumable style - written media. i think it really took away some of the heart.

THAT SAID.

we received histories and stories from 20 trans/nb/genderqueer/two-spirit bipoc individuals. i think my favorite perspective to read was joan benoit, being ided by a grandparent as "a child to watch" because of her non-traditional gender being displayed at a young age. similarly, i feel like it was an important perspective to remember that genders don't stop at trans and nonbinary - third genders, fourth genders, etc. have been a part of society for longer than all of us have been alive and most of the people that fall into these groups are widely underrepresented.

i also really appreciated the personal recollections that came out of the chapter about the aids crisis - about the societal glee that the disease, when first flourishing, appeared to be a 'gay disease', some of the work put in with ACT UP, the rampant transphobia that occurred during the era, but also how bipoc people specifically were impacted.

i did a little searching and (this is mentioned in the book's resources) took a look at baldwin-emerson elders project where caro de robertis' interviews were archived. there are dozens more oral histories to explore and in a world where queer and trans people's stories were obfuscated or erased by time and hatred, it's more important than ever that we read about these critical, precious histories.

Netgalley ARC - I am very glad this book exists and so excited for its upcoming release. This is an absolute must-have for every library or book store, and a must-read for any trans person looking for our history.

4 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

I'm glad I read this and saw perspectives from people I hadn't heard before. Our elders need to have their voices lifted up so we don't forget those who never got the chance to become elders.

Caro De Robertis interviews queer, trans, and two-spirit elders with grace, dignity, and with the knowledge that while they should be uplifted, they are also human beings who make mistakes.

The only point that makes this 4 stars is that I truly wish each person could have gotten their own chapter. The way this book was set up got confusing trying to remember who was what from previous questions. De Robertis asked a question, or gave them a prompt, and all the answers to that question or prompt were in the same chapter, from everyone. No one lives a life totally and completely unique, but it got repetitive and confusing at times.

verywell written and filled with strong ideas and conversations. inspiring and very interesting. 5 stars. tysm for the arc, Netgalley and Algonquin.

This book is full of wisdom, humor and history from many marginalized identities, all of which are linked under the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

While this book was fascinating, I found myself bored at times. I think pictures spread out through the book would have made it more interesting and dynamic.

While this book may not have been 5 stars to me personally, I think others, especially lovers and students of queer history, should buy this and form their own opinions.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

A much needed oral history collection. Queer/Trans elders of color have vital stories to share. We do not have enough spaces to hear their voices, to absorb the lessons from their pasts, their visions and ideas about our possible future. Beautiful to read all these stories. Thank you for the arc!

I loved the oral histories, but the format really hindered getting to know each person as well as created an annoying repetition at the beginning of several chapters.

Absolutely beautiful collection of lifesaving and lifegiving words from TGNCI+ people of colour. This book is incredible and I feel so honoured to have read it. I cannot recommend this enough!

MUST-READ. If you have any interest in queer lives, queer history, or queer futures, you NEED this book. Caro de Robertis is one of my favorite fiction writers, and while this oral history collecting stories from twenty BIPOC trans and nonbinary elders doesn't involve a lot of de Robertis's writing, their storytelling prowess shines through in how they weave the interviewee's voices together. I am so glad this book exists. It will certainly be the target of plenty of hatred in our current political environment, but it's the kind of book we desperately need right now.

So Many Stars by Caro De Robertis is a bold attempt to weave a handful of oral histories together as if they are stars scattered through the sky. While the idea of each story being a piece of a constellation is lovely, the output of them eventually became overwhelming or confusing. De Robertis' book is in a similar format to the start of Svetlana Alexievich's Secondhand Time. We have all these voices coming together to paint this greater picture, but in the end, Alexievich gives individuals a time to really have their story sit together so we can better understand them. As this book went on, I found myself further and further away from each individual interviewed. I could not remember who was who and all of their identities, which is a shame in a book about identities. It ultimately did a disservice to the narrative because it caused a distraction rather than completing the constellations promised.

De Robertis’s work here is phenomenal. At a time where, globally and more overtly than ever in the United States, conservative groups are vilifying, policing, and denying the existence of trans and gender diverse people, this book offers a much needed light in the darkness.

The book is the result of hours of interviews from 20 individuals. These narratives share valuable lived experiences, made all the more valuable in bringing people of color to the forefront. Too often in books, studies, histories, or other narratives, people of color are underrepresented, which does a disservice given how much they have contributed, and continue to contribute, to the LGBTQ+ community and its history. De Robertis and the interviewees have done us all a great service in sharing these stories.

The book can be read chronologically or thematically, and either would produce a satisfying experience. While some sections are darker than others, throughout the work inspires hope, camaraderie, and love. I hope this book inspires others not only as they fight for themselves and each other but to collect the stories of the queer ancestors that came before us before we lose them and their wisdom.