When it comes to book-to-television adaptations, sometimes the on-screen iteration is just as incredible as the original page turner—hello, Normal People. And the latest highly-anticipated novel to get the TV treatment is sure to be no different.
Torrey Peters’ groundbreaking debut novel, Detransition, Baby, is slated for a TV adaptation and thanks to the storyline alone, it's bound to be a must-watch.
According to Deadline, less than two months since its original publishing, Anonymous Content has picked up the story for a TV series as a half-hour dramedy. Peters herself is set to executive produce the series and write the pilot episode, but to sweeten the deal, the veteran writing and producing duo, Joan Rater and Tony Phelan of Grey's Anatomy are set to join her.
The book—which has already received critical acclaim upon its release this year—follows Reese, a woman from Brooklyn in her mid-30s who gets contacted by her ex, Amy, who offers her the chance to raise a baby together. Reese's journey with motherhood has already proved elusive, but Amy's proposal comes with a few red flags.
Nowadays, Amy is living as a cis man by the name of Ames, choosing to detransition after living as a trans woman while they were together, and offers Reese the chance to raise their baby, who will be carried by his boss, Katrina.
Throughout the novel, each of the three characters grapple with challenges and changes to their lives and a child that is on the way. Reese struggles with the idea of becoming a mother with the person who broke her heart, Ames with his gender identity, and Katrina with the soon-to-be unconventional parenting dynamic and potentially her last chance at having a baby.
Detransition, Baby was published on January 12, 2021 by Random House's imprint One World, is a New York Times bestseller and is one of the first novels written by a trans woman to be issued by a big-five publishing house.
The highly-anticipated book offers a fresh perspective on detransitioning, which transphobic individuals often use as a weapon against the community. In fact, Peters spoke to Dazed back in February about her experience, saying: “For me, there’s always been a question of being trans and doing trans. Whether or not you’re living as a trans woman, that doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t.”
She continued: “The times that I personally considered detransition haven’t been where I was like, ‘Did I miscategorise these feelings?’ It was that my life is a lot harder now, and I lost a lot, and maybe I could get those things back if I detransitioned, and I think that’s the question for Ames.”
Currently, there’s no news yet on when filming will begin or who will star in the series, however, we can hardly wait.
Curious? You can check out Torrey Peters' Detransition, Baby below.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, $41.90 at Booktopia.
