One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman: Author Reading by Abi Maxwell

Missoula Public Library welcomes author Abi Maxwell for a reading from her memoir, One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman: A Mother’s Story, followed by a conversation with Representative SJ Howell about the experiences of transgender youth and their families. This discussion will include space for audience participation.

Maxwell’s memoir tells the story of raising her transgender daughter in rural New Hampshire, where support at home is met with hostility from the local community and school board. While events happen elsewhere, Missoula has a compelling presence in Maxwell’s memoir–not just as the city where she once lived, but as a place her family might return to during a time of uncertainty and fear. Abi’s ties to Missoula offer us a familiar thread and, in the end, challenge us with the question: What kind of community do we want to be?

This Pride Month event offers space for listening, honest conversation, and connection. It’s for anyone who wants to better understand the challenges trans youth and their families face—and for everyone who believes in showing up for one another. This program is funded by The Missoula Public Library Foundation.

Bio: Abi Maxwell is the author of the novels Lake People and The Den, and the memoir One Day I’ll Grow Up and Be a Beautiful Woman: A Mother’s Story. A graduate of the University of Montana’s MFA program, Maxwell spent many years working in public libraries before becoming a high school librarian. She is a dedicated advocate for transgender youth and has testified before state legislatures on their behalf. Originally from New Hampshire, Maxwell now lives in California with her family.