In the Darkroom

In the Darkroom is a memoir by Susan Faludi that was first published on June 14, 2016. The memoir centers on the life of Faludi's father, who came out as transgender and underwent sex reassignment surgery at the age of 76. It won the 2016 Kirkus Prize for nonfiction and was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
Synopsis.
In 2004, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Susan Faludi learned that her 76-year-old estranged father Steven had undergone sex reassignment surgery and now went by the name Stefánie. This revelation led Faludi to reunite with Stefánie in Hungary, and the memoir documents Faludi's subsequent investigation into her father's life, particularly the years Stefánie spent growing up as a Hungarian Jew during World War II. Faludi also examines her relationship with her father, her father's transition, and explores the issues of gender identity and discrimination.
Reception.
Critical response.
"In the Darkroom" was critically acclaimed. "The New York Times" Michelle Goldberg described the memoir as a "rich, arresting and ultimately generous investigation of [Faludi's] father", while "The Guardian"s Claire Harman called it a "remarkable, moving and courageous book". Also writing for "The Guardian", Rachel Cooke concluded that, "Faludi's book, reticent and elegant and extremely clever, will not be to everyone’s taste. But this doesn’t preclude it from being an out-and-out masterpiece of its kind."
NPRs Maureen Corrigan noted that the book "seems like especially pertinent reading in these, our own dark times, when questions of identity keep coming to the fore, as matters of life and death." "Entertainment Weekly"s Tina Jordan gave the memoir an "A-" rating, concluding that: "It’s a gripping and honest personal journey—bolstered by reams of research—that ultimately transcends family and addresses much bigger questions of identity and reinvention." According to "The New York Times" Jennifer Senior, Faludi "challenges some of our most fundamental assumptions about transsexuality," although "The Washington Post"s Hanna Rosin felt that Faludi "never quite completes" the "broader counter-narrative about identity" that she starts.
In a rare lukewarm review, "USA Today"s Sharon Peters gave the book two stars out of four, concluding that: "In the end, though, "In the Darkroom" fails to shed real light."
Accolades.
"In the Darkroom" won the 2016 Kirkus Prize in the nonfiction category and was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. The book was also selected by the editors of "The New York Times Book Review" as one of the 10 Best Books of 2016. Laura Miller of "Slate" named it one of her 10 Favorite Books of 2016.