Veronique Renard - Pholomolo: No Man No Woman

Full title: "Pholomolo: No Man No Woman" by Veronique Renard. She is one of the most inspirational women for me.

In her bestselling 2003 memoir Pantau in India, Veronique Renard captivated readers with her powerful story of abandoning corporate life in the Netherlands to live among Tibetan refugees in the Himalayas. Her tale of spiritual awakening, cultural immersion, and personal transformation read like an exotic, poignant detective story, full of heart, humor, and inspiration. But as revelatory as Pantau in India was, it left one remarkable chapter of Veronique’s life untold. In her deeply moving and unflinchingly honest follow-up memoir, Pholomolo: No Man No Woman, Veronique finally opens up about a truth she has lived quietly for over 25 years: her transition from male to female at the age of seventeen. For decades, she never discussed this part of her identity—not with friends, not with family, not even with lovers. But now, in this luminous and courageous memoir, she invites readers into that most intimate and vulnerable space.

The title Pholomolo, a Southern African word used to describe someone who is neither man nor woman, perfectly encapsulates the spiritual and gender odyssey Veronique has walked. With her signature blend of wit and wisdom, she recounts the pain of growing up in a world that refused to see her for who she truly was, the joys and challenges of transitioning as a teenager, and the curious experience of navigating both the Occidental and Oriental worlds as a transsexual woman in near-invisibility.

The result is a memoir that is as laugh-out-loud funny as it is deeply soul-stirring. Veronique doesn’t just share her story, she reclaims it. From the fear and isolation of her youth to the serene clarity she finds in Buddhism and activism, she writes with candor, grace, and a touch of mischievous sparkle. As she shared in her 2013 interview with Monika Kowalska on Heroines of My Life, Veronique has always seen herself as “an academic in jeans,” someone more at home in ideas and causes than couture or glamour.

Yet, Pholomolo reveals a quiet radiance that comes not from clothing or makeup, but from daring to live one’s truth unapologetically, every day. Pholomolo: No Man No Woman is not just a transgender memoir. It is a human story, about self-acceptance, about the mysteries of identity, and about the quiet, profound courage it takes to be authentic in a world that doesn’t always understand.

For anyone wrestling with their own journey, whether it’s gender, purpose, or faith, Veronique’s story offers both a mirror and a map. A journey once cloaked in silence now sings with resonance. This is Veronique Renard as we’ve never seen her before, and perhaps, as she has always truly been.

Available via Amazon

and The Heroines of My Life

Photo via The Heroines of My Life

Other publications about Veronique Renard:

Interview with Veronique Renard
Born in Jutphaas, the Netherlands, on May 26, 1965, Véronique Françoise Caroline Renard is a woman of many layers, each as colorful and compelling as her art and words. A...