In the heart of one of America’s most conservative states, a powerful, deeply personal, and transformative story has emerged. Finding Eve: Raising a Transgender Teen in Idaho (2024) by Michael and Angie Devitt is more than a memoir, it's a clarion call for compassion, understanding, and bravery. It tells the story of their daughter, Eve Devitt, an extraordinary young woman whose courage and authenticity have inspired not only her family and community but countless others across the nation.
Set in Boise, Idaho, Finding Eve begins with a quiet but growing storm, the dawning awareness that their child, assigned male at birth, was experiencing something deeper and more profound than confusion or rebellion. What unfolds is a story of gender dysphoria recognized not as a problem to be solved, but as a truth to be honored. As Eve begins to articulate her experience and identity, her parents are confronted with questions many families of transgender youth face: What does it mean to be supportive? How do you protect your child from a world that isn’t ready?
Michael and Angie do not sugarcoat their journey. The book walks readers through the complexity of coming out within a family that, like many, was unprepared for what lay ahead. Their daughter’s transition challenged their assumptions, tested their relationships, and required a level of self-reflection and vulnerability that few parenting books prepare you for. But through honest conversations and unwavering love, the Devitts transformed what could have been a breaking point into a source of incredible strength.
One of the most heart-wrenching arcs in Finding Eve is the family’s confrontation with their church community. As Eve’s transition became more visible, the family hoped that their deep roots in their faith community would provide support. Instead, they were met with judgment and exclusion. With raw honesty, Michael and Angie describe the heartbreak of losing a spiritual home, but also the clarity and integrity that came from standing by their daughter.
Rather than retreat, the Devitts chose to move forward. They found new ways to live their values of love, acceptance, and justice, proving that faith and LGBTQ+ support are not mutually exclusive. For readers of faith, these chapters offer a particularly moving portrait of the costs and rewards of spiritual courage.
By the time readers meet Eve as a teenager, she has grown into a powerful voice for transgender youth.
In an era when trans youth are being targeted in political battles far beyond their control, Eve’s leadership is nothing short of extraordinary. Finding Eve makes it clear: this is not just the story of one brave teen, but the story of a movement.
What makes Finding Eve so resonant is its refusal to be reduced to a talking point. This is not a “culture war” story, it’s a human story. It’s about love tested and deepened. About fear transformed into advocacy. About one family’s quiet life in Idaho interrupted by public controversy and turned into a platform for justice.
Michael and Angie write with clarity and compassion. Their prose is accessible, emotionally honest, and filled with moments of tenderness. Whether describing late-night conversations, battles with school administrators, or Eve’s first time speaking at the state capitol, the book captures the emotional depth of parenting a transgender child in an unforgiving political climate.
And yet, Finding Eve never wallows in victimhood. Instead, it celebrates the strength and joy that can grow from authenticity. It honors the allies, friends, and neighbors who chose love over fear. And most of all, it centers the voice of a remarkable young woman who, against the odds, chose to live fully, visibly, and proudly.
For families raising transgender kids, Finding Eve is an essential read. It offers a roadmap through uncharted emotional territory with honesty, compassion, and hope. For teachers, policymakers, and faith leaders, it’s a powerful invitation to listen more deeply and act more justly. And for every transgender teen who has ever felt alone, Eve’s story is a beacon: You are not alone. You are loved. You belong.
This is not just Eve Devitt’s story, it’s the story of every family trying to do right by their children in a world that doesn’t always make that easy. It is the story of how love, when fiercely defended and bravely expressed, can reshape communities and redefine what it means to raise a child.
In the end, Finding Eve is not a tragedy or a cautionary tale. It is a love story. And one that will stay with readers long after the final page.
Available via Amazon
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