Allison Landa

"Bearded Lady" chronicles the early life of a young woman that has hursutism excessive hair growth on the face and body of a female. Her family is dysfunctional, while her mother shows her how to shave the excess hair as if is quite normal while her father refers to her as a freak. As a child, she is diagnosed with the condition, but she doesn't receive any treatment. (As a reader, we don't know why), At school she is ridiculed, but takes it in stride, while she continues to shave her face several times a day. As an older teen, she tries laser hair removal, with disastrous results. While working for a newspaper, she meets a young man with whom she is romantically involved. She tries to hide her condition from him, but when they become intimate the truth reveals itself. He says he loves her just as she is, but she can't shake the feeling of self-consciousness she feels because of it. After discussion with her, then fiance, she decides to see a doctor again and begins hormone treatments in addition to finding a reliable laser hair removal specialist. The book is at time sad, comical and really a reflection of anyone who has something they are self conscious about and the lengths they will go to disguise it. The story jumps in time from her youth back to adulthood, but that does not take away from the message of the book. Not a feel good book, but certainly a good novel.… (más)

Bearded Lady is a memoir about a woman with hirsutism, excessive hair growth caused by hormonal abnormalities. The story follows Allison from her preteen years when the condition begins to her late 20s. Through this time she has learned to live with her condition and find acceptance and love. Her difficult family situation adds to the struggles she faces. The story was painfully honest and very relatable. Regardless of what ones personal struggles are, we can all relate to the pain of confronting those struggles through our teens and learning how they affect our identity in our 20s. I loved the raw honesty of Landa's story and her courage to give the reader a peak into her world. I was drawn in to the story and did not want to put it down.… (más)