Julie Cohen's "Louis & Louise"

 

You can find this book here.

Cohen's novel attempts to look at the life of a person from two different aspects: born male or female. The character therefore, is supposed to show the development of what could happen depending on the gender stereotypes lived with. The summary itself claims:

"The day they were born is when their story begun. In one, Louis David Alder is born a male. In the other, Louise Dawn Alder is born a female. Louis and Louise are the same in many ways - they have the same best friends, the same parents, the same dream of being a writer and leaving their hometown in Maine as soon as they can. But because of their gender, everything looks different. Certain things will happen in their lives to shape them, hurt them, build them back up again. But what will bring them back home?"

It makes the book sound very intriguing ... but does it deliver? To be honest; I don't think the stereotypes and the choices that surround the characters are strongly shown throughout the novel. The characters show how things in life have impacted them, but perhaps if the situations had been reversed, their outcomes may have been the same? The impact could be based off the situations, not the sex or gender of the characters. There were some choice I found illogical by the characters also; and it left me wondering if these choices were put there just to show differences between Louis and Louise. But what if they had been reversed and played out onto the protagonist of the opposite sex? What choices and changes would have occurred then?

What I did enjoy was the landscape of the small town feel and how this can impose on how a person should live, compared to possibly more "freedom" in a larger city. This also has to do with familial ties, context and choices as well; not just gender ones. 

In the end, if nothing else once you read this, it opens up questions about gender stereotypes and how these are portrayed depending on the sex of a child. It is an easy read and an introduction into a world of fiction that tries to look at society in all its fullness and flaws. 

Links for you

If you wanted something meatier in terms of sex and gender (as suggested by Cohen's work), you could also read:

Left hand of darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

Secret life of Luke Livingstone

Charity Norman

This child of ours

Sadie Pearce