A moving and unforgettable memoir of a transgender pastor’s journey from despair to joy as she transitioned from male to female and learned about gender inequity, at home and in the workplace—perfect for fans of Redefining Realness and There Is Room for You.

As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion.

Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image?

In As a Woman, Paula’s “critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed” (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) in order to fully understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human.

Rave Reviews

  • “This is a book for anyone who’s ever needed to make a change, and let’s be honest, that’s all of us. So, let Paula be your guide. Her beautifully told personal story mixed with her acute observations about privilege and authenticity will leave you feeling open and hopeful.”

    Briar Goldberg, director of Speaker Coaching, TED Conferences

  • “Paula Stone Williams’ critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed.”

    Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger

  • “Paula’s storytelling is artful, funny, and inspiring. If you look like me—middle-aged white American man—you’ll understand your unique super-power to make our country better for our mothers, sisters, and daughters as well as everyone else who doesn’t look like us.”

    T. Scott Case, cofounder and CEO, Upside