Juliette Jourdan - La fille de Casablanca

2017, French, Georges Burou, Juliette Jourdan,

Original title: "La fille de Casablanca" (The Girl from Casablanca) by Juliette Jourdan.

"In 1956, in Casablanca, while Morocco struggles for its independence, Jenny, a young trans woman, solicits Dr. Georges Burou, a renowned, if somewhat enigmatic gynecologist, for a 'sex change'...

The Girl from Casablanca tells the true story of the first entirely successful sex reassignment surgery, at a time when the word 'trans' didn't even exist. It also tells a tale of daring and courage against all odds. True to himself, Dr. Burou went ahead with the first gender surgery to help a desperate and endearing young trans woman while risking ruining his career. Without knowing it, he would set the standard, to this day, for MtF surgery."

"He was later to operate on famous French showgirl Coccinelle, on irresistible British socialite April Ashley and on Welsh author Jan Morris, who had her heyday in the 1970s, amongst many others. This fast-moving novel additionally offers a plentiful gallery of supporting characters, in turns touching, attractive, or pathetic.

Juliette Jourdan's elegant prose beautifully conveys the beguiling and dramatic atmosphere of a booming city that was, in the 1950s, the New York of Africa. With its distinctly vintage 'look and feel,' this book reads like a thriller!"

Available via Amazon

Photo via juliettejourdan.com