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The idea of gender transition replacing lesbianism in thebook caught my attention. Callie is so ashamed of her desire for women, andpublically humiliated by the Object’s brother for her sexual experimentation.Yet we have not seen humiliation of Cal/Callie for not fitting completely intohis/her gender (at least through book three). As an adult male narrator, Caltells how people don’t notice he was once a woman, and he hasn’t mentioned anyhumiliation. She and the Object’s brother have sex, and he doesn’t notice heranatomical differences. The Object notices, and sexually enjoys Callie’sunusual body parts. She doesn’t say anything to Callie, or recoil. Thiscontrasts with the reactions to lesbianism. Lina had to leave her villagebecause of it, and Callie is shamed.

At the end of book three, I would compare the Object’sdesire for Callie to Callie’s intersexism. Both were secrets, kept inside (literallyfor Callie, given her internal testicles). Both are surprising when revealed.  People assume others are straight andnot intersex. I was surprised about the physical and emotional relationship thatdeveloped between the Object and Callie. Definitely not something I predicted.

I have also wondered why the brother is called Chapter 11.Maybe we learn about him in a chapter 11 in the novel somewhere?