In a world where trans voices are still too often silenced or misunderstood, Mi Nombre Es Valentina: Una guía íntima para transitar la identidad con valentía (My Name Is Valentina: An Intimate Guide to Navigating Identity with Courage) emerges as a powerful and necessary work. Written by Valentina Ruiz, this book isn’t just a memoir, it’s a lighthouse for trans people and their allies, illuminating the complexities, beauty, and bravery involved in living as one’s authentic self.
Ruiz describes Ser Yo (“Being Myself”) as an intense, honest, and deeply human guide to what it means to be a trans woman today. With unflinching vulnerability, she traces her path from childhood silence to adult resilience, offering her readers a hand to hold along the way. Each chapter weaves together personal experience with practical wisdom, creating a space that feels both intimate and empowering.
The book begins with a heartfelt prologue, “Why I’m Writing This,” before diving into the story of a life lived in search of truth and belonging. Ruiz invites us into her early years, “Born in a skin that wasn’t mine,” and through the confusion and secrecy of childhood and adolescence. She reflects on pivotal moments of fear, longing, and resistance that shaped her identity long before she could name it.
Chapters like “The Breaking Point: Choosing to Live” and “Transition: Body, Identity, and Struggle” capture the rawness and liberation of beginning her transition, while others delve into the emotional landscapes that many trans people navigate: grief, acceptance, joy, and healing.
Mental health, family, and work, often overlooked in discussions about gender identity, are central themes in the book. Ruiz addresses these with clarity and compassion.
The final chapters are both practical and poignant. With sections like “Questions and Answers: What People Always Ask Me,” a glossary of inclusive language, and curated resources for trans individuals, the book becomes a toolkit as well as a testimony.
Ruiz closes her story with a defiant tenderness in the epilogue: “I’m not brave for being trans.” Instead, her courage lies in the love she has for herself and her community, a love that pulses through every page.
My Name Is Valentina is more than a guide. It’s a conversation, a lifeline, and a celebration. Whether you’re trans, questioning, a friend, a family member, or simply someone wanting to better understand the diverse realities of gender, Valentina Ruiz offers you a gift: her truth, spoken with both softness and strength.
This is a book that doesn’t just ask us to witness a life. It invites us to live more courageously in our own.
Valentina Ruiz was born in 1995 in Córdoba, Argentina. She is a writer, trans activist, communicator, and support guide for individuals navigating gender identity and transition. She holds academic training in social communication, gender, and human rights.
Ruiz has participated in community workshops, talks, and educational spaces where she shares her experiences and advocates for trans rights. Her first book, Mi Nombre Es Valentina: Una guía íntima para transitar la identidad con valentía, is a personal and practical guide for trans individuals.
She currently lives with her two cats and continues to write daily.
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