Surpassing Certainty ─ What My Twenties Taught Me

From the New York Times bestselling author of Redefining Realness, one of “the most influential people on the Internet” (Time) and world-renowned trans activist, comes a fascinating and inspiring memoir about her search for purpose, love, and self-realization during her twenties, in this narrative touchstone that will influence an entire generation.

A few months before her twentieth birthday, Janet Mock is adjusting to life at the University of Hawaii and finally content in her own body. It’s here that she experiences her first love story—an infatuation with Troy, a yeoman stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Base. With Troy, she experiences several incredible firsts: he becomes the first person to whom she truly opens up, the first person to witness her embrace her natural hair, and the first person to provide for her in ways that her parents failed to do. The pleasures and perils of their union as they navigate disclosure, infidelity, and distance serve as a backdrop for Janet’s progression—her stint as a stripper, her first-generation college experience, her move to New York, and her start in journalism.

Firsts is a riveting, rousing, and real portrait of a young woman before she became one of the world’s most respected voices in media and lauded leaders in feminism, social justice, and LGBT rights. If you are currently on your own journey towards self-discovery, Firsts will embolden you to seek your voice, purpose, and place as you witness Janet exploring the unknown, making mistakes, learning from them, and eventually finding her place in the world.