Being Ellen: A Second Chance at Life

Ellen-"Ellie"-Krug got that kind of second chance. After living five decades presenting as a self-absorbed man, she finally transitioned to live as her true self, an open and kind woman with a mission to change the world for the better.

In Being Ellen: A Second Chance at Life, Ellie shares about an arduous journey of self-discovery following her gender transition at age fifty-two. As Ellie learns the hidden rules of womanhood, she's also reminded of what love and allyship truly mean. The journey also includes finding her chosen family centered around Thap, her best male friend from eighth grade.

Finally able to live as her true self, Ellie becomes an advocate for human inclusivity, traveling North America with a message about having greater compassion for all, and how almost everyone has a good, empathetic heart.

Being Ellen continues the story told in Ellie's earlier book, Getting to Ellen: A Memoir about Love, Honesty and Gender Change, in which she documents her struggle to come out as a woman.

This second installment of her memoir series, Being Ellen, is about all the challenges and joy that come with finally finding one's authentic voice. This book is for everyone, regardless of identity, life station, or anything else that separates us.

"In a brand-centric age when true authenticity is in short supply, Ellie Krug's raw rendering of her journey to become her true self is a breath of fresh air. Telling her story with equal parts intimacy, humor and heartbreak, Krug's tale transcends the typical coming-of-age memoir and delivers a fearless tale that brings a dose of empathy to a politically divided world."

- Reid Forgrave, author of Love, Zac: Small-Town Football and the Life and Death of an American Boy