I Heard Her Call My Name

A Memoir of Transition

By: Lucy Sante

Narrated by: Lucy Sante

FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE

Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate

“Reading this book is a joy . . . much to say about the trans journey and will undoubtedly become a standard for those in need of guidance. ” —The Washington Post

“Sante’s bold devotion to complexity and clarity makes this an exemplary memoir. It is a clarion call to live one’s most authentic life.” —The Boston Globe

“Not to be missed, I Heard Her Call My Name is a powerful example of self-reflection and a vibrant exploration of the modern dynamics of gender and identity.” —Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2024

An iconic writer’s lapidary memoir of a life spent pursuing a dream of artistic truth while evading the truth of her own gender identity until, finally, she turned to face who she really was

For a long time, Lucy Sante felt unsure of her place. Born in Belgium, the only child of conservative working-class Catholic parents who transplanted their little family to the United States, she felt at home only when she moved to New York City in the early 1970s and found her people among a band of fellow bohemians. Some would die young, from drugs and AIDS, and some would become jarringly famous. Sante flirted with both fates on her way to building an estimable career as a writer. But she still felt like her life was a performance. She was presenting a facade, even to herself.

Sante’s memoir braids together two threads of personal narrative: the arc of her life, and her recent step-by-step transition to a place of inner and outer alignment. Sante brings a loving irony to her account of her unsteady first steps; there was much she found she still needed to learn about being a woman after some sixty years cloaked in a man’s identity, in a man’s world. A marvel of grace and empathy, I Heard Her Call My Name parses with great sensitivity many issues that touch our lives deeply, of gender identity and far beyond.

©2024 Lucy Sante (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Reading this book is a joy. Sante is funny and warm . . . I Heard Her Call My Name has much to say about the trans journey and will undoubtedly become a standard for those in need of guidance. But the book speaks to a wider audience, too: for anyone who needs to break out of their self-imposed ‘prison of denial,’ as Sante puts it, or to stop punishing themselves for wanting what they want.”—The Washington Post

“A timely but timeless memoir . . . At its heart, I Heard Her Call My Name is a poignant but forceful portrait of a life liberated from shame and fear . . . Emblematic of someone who has straddled cultures, languages, and genders, Sante’s bold devotion to complexity and clarity makes this an exemplary memoir. It is a clarion call to live one’s most authentic life.”—The Boston Globe

“Extraordinary . . . [Sante’s] writing remains as perceptive, elegant, and striking as ever, and furthermore it is fearlessly honest—a quality that often seems almost as rare as Sante-style bohemians. . . . There has always been much truth in her work, flourishing like those renegade artists in the squalor of 1970s New York. And now there is even more.”—Slate

Honest and frank

Excellent, an unvarnished picture of a life of gender dysphoria . With a happy ending for Lucy Sante

Solid honesty and insight. Loved this.

Lucy drew a picture of life’s changing scenery. Her voice is strong yet humble and full of grace. Thank you.

A richly written and piercingly honest story

I deeply appreciate this extraordinary account that expands so much beyond a transgender transition narrative. It’s a profound heroes journey, the raw documentation of a metamorphosis. if you replace the word transgender with pretty much anything else that you’ve always wanted to be, but never let yourself, you’ll find your story and discover new ways to step into your truth. Wow, I can attest to the fact that this story speaks to people transitioning over the age of 50,

Honest, breathtaking, beautiful

Thank you Lucy Sante for becoming who you are , and one of us (a woman).

Beautiful and unique memoir

This memoir is read by the author and because of that, the emotion is captured beautifully. The structure is such that the author's life is visited in brief flashes, anchored by the defining moment of Lucy finally acknowledging herself as a woman and emerging into the world.

The internal battles of transness are perfectly rendered in honest, amusing prose. And the setting of the book ranges from the grime of 70s and 80s NYC to San Francisco to New Jersey and upstate NY and then back again into the city.

I loved this book for its honesty and its unflinching gaze deep into the embarrassment, cringe, agony and longing that go hand in hand with a life lived as trans. Only a writer could have written this book!

One of the Best Memoirs

I read a lot. I really enjoy memoir, it's a genre that is extra rewarding when it is topical, as Lucy's is. This book hit me like a freight train, it's the first time I've felt seen by art. The first thing I can remember reading where over and over I realised I had absolutely had these same experiences Sante described as elusive, difficult, somewhat mystical. Her prose is spare but not sparse, it's thoughtful and flows wonderfully. I walked away saying "I want to read a lot more by this author" which is so rare for new publications. Please take the time to read and savour "I Heard Her Call My Name"

I'm so glad I read this book

This book was in the NY Times and the Washington Post (and others) top ten books of 2024 but the cover of the book scared me (the cover has nothing to do with the book so what is up with that??) so I didn’t put it on my to-do list. Lucy transitioned from Luc at 67. He was already an author (though I’ve never heard of him). The book is marvelous: in that, I marveled at the straightforwardness of her voice and writing, the humor she uses so adeptly, the engaging story of his/her life, and most of all, the fluidity of gender and sexuality that has to exist on this planet. There is just so much evidence of it.

Great reading of a fascinating story

Great reading of a fascinating story. Two stories. An autobiography and a story of transformations. What is male and what is female. What is gender and what is sex?

The cracking of an egg

Good that your egg cracked, Lucy. This is a powerful memoir of a life leading to a “never gonna happen”transition—-that happened. The writing is dizzying and stunning and witty and at times devastating. The narration is wonderfully rich as well as droll and dry. Well done, Lucy.

This is a gift to listen - I will return to it

I am a long-time fan of this nimble, deep, poetic writer. Each work is fresh and unique and inspiring.

This memoir is truly enthralling and triggered in me literally every emotion and thought possible. Only someone as brilliant as Sante could have given us such a gift. It actually feels like it was written in both a state of rapture but also must have been like giving birth to turn so much feeling into words.

Of course, the best audiobooks are memoirs read by their writers. This is truly the best in that category! Apologies to Patti Smith and Sally Mann, who are now Silver and Bronze.

I finished it 24 hours ago and it is still spreading through me like a pebble in a lake. I will listen again if and when I recover.