Darling Days

At times, this memoir feels disjointed and frenetic, but that is mainly because Wright's life has been disjointed and frenetic. Brought up by a single mother in early 1990s New York, Wright learned to deal with a bohemian lifestyle early on. This is a story of the author's loving but frustrating relationship with a mother who marches to the beat of her own drum; it is also about the harmful effects of gentrification and drug addiction. At one point, the family is forced out of their apartment by a housing management agency, and the ensuing drama demonstrates what it's like to be displaced for the sake of higher rents. In the midst of all this, Wright struggles with gender identity, dressing as a boy called Ricky, and later, grappling with sexuality when a first crush blossoms. Bouncing from home to home, school to school, and later, parent to parent, the author eventually understands the importance of taking charge of one's own life and even more importantly, of being true to oneself.