VERONIQUE RENARD'S FOLLOW-UP MEMOIR PHOLOMOLO RELEASED IN USA / UNITED KINGDOMVeronique Renard's latest memoir, PHOLOMOLO – NO MAN NO WOMAN has been released in the USA / United Kingdom in June 2007. Copies of the book are available in the USA at Barnes and Noble bookshops or can be ordered at Amazon USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan. Copies ordered by clients at Amazon or any other internet retailer outside North/South America are distributed from England. Veronique's books are banned in China.
"A delightfully funny, unabashedly erotic and deeply moving portrait" Andrea James (Hollywood director/editor)"Pholomolo isn't the first memoir of a boy who became a woman. But Veronique Renard is the only one who became an author long before she decided to write about her corporeal journey" (Henk Roozendaal, the author of Katoi - An Unusual Love) Some customer reviews (Amazon):
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This is the best, most enjoyable memoir I've read. Well over most I've encountered about the subject of transsexualism. Veronique is a superb story teller, very humorous at times, as well as painfully serious. Her honesty and directness is refreshing. She holds nothing back. She also has a commanding use of language, even though English isn't her mother tongue. If you are looking for a concise introduction into the world of authentic humanity I urge you to read this book. It isn't just about being born with a "birth defect" as the author artfully refers to it, it is about recognizing ones blessed uniqueness and how that uniqueness constuctively informs all of us. I hated finishing it. I sincerely hope this author will publish more. She has something we all can benefit from. Thanks Veronique (Pantau) for being bold enough to share your soul.
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Pholomolo is the phenomenal life, so far, of a Dutch woman who grew up as a boy suffering schoolyard taunts and bullies until she had surgery at age 18. She then earned a PhD and worked up the corporate ladder until giving it all up to move to India. After a plane crash in the Himalayas, she spent seven years living as a neighbor of the Dalai Lama who bestowed a name upon her. A most fascinating read!!
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Veronique Renard is a woman who has experienced a lot, both good and bad, in her life, and in this book she tells it honestly and without dissimulation. I was impressed. I do not usually feel much sympathy with post-op trannies, most of their problems being self-inflicted in my view, and my own girlfriend being non-op. However Veronique explains her thoughts and feelings so well that you can not help feeling kindly towards her. Her command of English is also good, despite a few tiny slips. On the whole a rewarding read and recommended.
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Pantau's (Veronique) attitude through-out the book was both entertaining and genuine. Although as children and early teens she and I had many different experiences, I discovered that we shared a similar theme of our life during that period. Our reactions were totally different due to our unique environments growing up. Sharing her story was re-affirming for me because I could identify with the way she lived her life. She and I and I'm sure many others share similar hopes and dreams about how our lives will turn out. I was impressed with how she created purpose and meaning in her life. She is an inspiration and this book is a must read for trans-sexuals, their friends, families and anyone else interested in what life is like for us from the moment we discover who we really are to whatever point we are today. I felt a whole range of emotions reading about her life from laugh out loud silliness to the despair and fear that we all feel at various points in our lives. Her's is a truly interesting story of what she created for herself and how she met her challenges all along the way. She reminded me that I can make something of my life regardless of my "special" circumstances and most importantly, to keep dreaming.
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What a tremendous read. I highly recommend. The other reviews pretty much tell the story. Veronique made me laugh she made me cry. My heart so reached out for her. The writing is superb. She makes you feel like you are with her as she goes through her journey. I actually kissed the front cover of the book. Absolutely awesome!!!
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Veronique (AKA Pantau) transitioned early in life, and several decades ago. The discrimination that she faced in her home country of the Netherlands seemed surprising to me, except in the context of time. Surely things have gotten better there now. The author's storytelling skills are excellent. She recreates details of emotion and time and place as if she were a fiction writer, thus keeping my interest level high. I cheered for her when she was compensated (out of court) for the discrimination that she repeatedly suffered in high level employment. I was afraid for her when she was confronted for using the restroom in a bar. I was continually amazed at her nearly pornographic stories of her many sexual escapades; she is fearlessly candid. She learned that stealth was her best defense. But when she looked for more meaning in her life, she found herself in India where the Dalai Lama lives. The monks there teach her that a life of authenticity is the most valuable, fulfilling life one can lead. She comes to terms with the reality that she is a transsexual, not just a woman: "a special type of woman". Thus she is finally able to meet the man of her dreams because she was finally true to who she really is. The last section of the books takes place in Thailand. It's a fascinating culture with a greater population of transsexuals than anywhere else, and though there is still some prejudice it is truly different from any other place on the planet at the current time. Pantau's glimpse at that life is sweet. As the wife of a M2F transsexual, I have read quite a few TS biographies. This one is stronger than most.
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