Allison Lenore Annalora’s memoir Late Blooming: My Gender Journey is a moving and unflinchingly honest story about resilience, identity, and the pursuit of truth. Born in May 1955 and given up for adoption at birth, Allison, then known as Larry Duane Miller, grew up in a household marked by instability.
Raised by alcoholic adoptive parents, she endured an abusive childhood while quietly struggling with a truth she had known since the age of three: she was a girl. For years, she carried the weight of rejection, shame, and misunderstanding, compounded by addiction and the pain of being shunned by peers. Yet, throughout her story, she never loses sight of the possibility of happiness or the determination to live authentically. The origins of the book trace back to 1992, when Allison began a journal during her search for her biological mother. At that time, both of her adoptive parents had passed away, and she hoped meeting her birth family would bring a sense of closure. What began as a personal record of this search gradually evolved into something much larger. Over the years, the journal grew into a chronicle of survival and transformation, and eventually into a fully realized memoir. Friends, colleagues, and loved ones encouraged her to share her story, believing it could inspire not only transgender women but also anyone who has ever faced adversity. Writing became a therapeutic act, helping her process trauma while offering readers a powerful message: despite life’s challenges, beauty and fulfillment are always possible.
