Bearded Lady

Each day, the narrator hides a beard that grows along her chin and cheeks. She shaves twice daily and works makeup into her skin, always hoping for a change that never arrives. Years of evasion pass before a diagnosis and treatment finally come, and love gives her the courage to step out from hiding.

The memoir explores concealment and disclosure, and the secrets and redemption that come with them. It also considers how the beliefs that divide people can ultimately connect them. It follows what happens when a person can no longer bury her deepest shame and must meet the world openly.