This was a really interesting & inspiring read about Marsha P. Johnson. I thought it was written with respect & I appreciate that the writer didn't shy away from the hardships Marsha and the LGBTQ+ community faced while also talking about all the brighter moments. There was clearly a lot of research that went into this book which included firsthand accounts from the people who knew her which I really liked; I learnt a lot about Marsha through reading this, I was surprised by how little I previously knew about her life & her activism.

With how the world is currently, this book seems more important to read than ever. There doesn't seem to be enough appreciation for everything the community fought for in the 60s-90s & I don't think you can wholly appreciate how much has been done (& how much still needs to be improved) until you pick this up. As much as this book was emotional & sad in parts, there's also a strong element of hope.

Marsha was an absolute queen & I envy everyone who got to know her— I'm glad she's got to have her story told in this way, I highly recommend everyone to read this.

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for the free eARC!

An incredible biography of Marsha P. Johnson. It was such a pleasure to read about a Black trans woman who had such an impact on the rights and lives of LGBTQIA+ people, written by a Black trans woman. It exemplifies everything Marsha hoped for in how she lived, loved, and in how she deeply cared for those in the queer community. I also appreciated how Tourmaline provides a dynamic portrayal of Marsha. In this biography Marsha is more than the queer icon who supposedly threw the 'first brick' at the Stonewall Riots; instead Marsha is a young person growing up and flying the nest, she is a young street queen and sex worker, she is a mother to young people and animals, she is an icon, she is a performer and artist, she is a comedian and singer, she is a carer, an inspiration, a light, and an activist. Particularly as Tourmaline spends time detailing Marsha's activism and care during the AIDs crisis, something we should be celebrating Marsha for just as much as we celebrate her for her role at Stonewall. Marsha campaigned for the B to be added to represent Bisexual people. And, Marsha faced intense transphobia within the queer community itself, as, at first, she wasn't allowed to march or ride at the front with those involved in the Stonewall Riots because of her gender expression. Thus, Tourmaline's biography is detailed, enlightening, moving and inspiring. A must read.

This book is a very welcome addition to LGBTQI+ literature.
What I liked most about it was that the author really captured Marsha flaws and all. It brought me to tears, made me seethe with anger, made me smile at the closeness of the community and Marsha's role as a watchdog for younger dolls facing a life of abuse and misunderstanding whilst trying to be their authentic selves.

In part the tragedy of it all was almost too much to bear - so how much worse would it have been for Marsha and her friends.
I found it particularly poignant to hear about Marsha through the eyes of so many others. Her strength in the face of adversity is so clear, but so too is the effects of a lifetime of trauma on her.
The active way in which Marsh encouraged cooperation between other political groups and was a vocal focal point for the group

Even writing this review I'm in tears, especially with the current political climate, it seems that we still need to shout Marsha's message from the rooftops.

Tourmaline's biography of Marsha P. Johnson, the pioneering icon of LGBTQIA+ history, is highly readable and engaging, telling not just the story of one person, but the story of a country changes it's attitudes towards a community it previously refused to understand. It is a biography full of great details which bring vividly to life that time and place. I was fully engaged reading it, enlightened by the end, and thoroughly moved. Wonderful stuff.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Most people have heard the name Marsha P. Johnson, but how much do we truly know about her?

In this truly illuminating biography written by Tourmaline, a luminary black trans woman, we get a fascinating glimpse into the icon and legendary trail blazer of lgbtqia+ rights that was Marsha.

From her life as a street sex worker and her pivotal role in the Stonewall Riots, no stone is left unturned in this beautiful tribute to Marsha.

Many of us, including myself, were unaware of how she spent so much of her time, housing, feeding, and generally caring for her black trans brethren as well as her completely selfless work looking after and caring for people in the Hiv/AIDS epidemic.

It's abundantly clear how much research went into this remarkable book, and I'm so pleased I got to experience this one for myself. Marsha truly was a heroine that deserves everyone's remembrance. This book is moving, informative, and memorable, just like the woman herself, Marsha P. Johnson.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book which showcases the life of a trans activist Marsha Johnson. Everyone really needs to read this book. It highlights very acurately the struggle that trans people have and still do have today. I can imagine that especially in the USA now life must not only be difficult but extremely scary too. Why is it that it's only when someone of promenance writes a book that we can find out about these people. They should be much more well known. In the UK we are hardly exemplary given a certain well known person's attempts to further marginalise trans people. Well written to keep you engaged in the story and makes you feel very angry at times as to how people are treated. This book very clearly highlights the terrible way people are marginalised in 2025. We don't seem to have learnt anything-sadly

It was really interesting to learn more about Marsha P Johnson especially everything that occurred pre Stonewall.

I learned more about Marsha’s life a few years ago, but not in detail. This provides insight into her life and her challenges, from her childhood to her death. It is a very powerful read! The challenges she faced as a trans woman were devastating. She never gave up, and that’s what made her incredible.

You can see the love and care Tourmaline put into writing this! She deserves all the praise.

Marsha, you will always be a star!

Thank you to Rachel Quinn for sending me this ARC!

I knew nothing about Marsha or Tourmaline, but I do enjoy biographies about interesting people and Marsha certainly ticks that box.. I have the greatest admiration for any individual who stands up for what they believe in and want to be and Marsh’s defiance in the face of constant adversity is remarkable. This is a genuine slice of social history covering New York from the 1959s onwards. Marsha’s early life wasn’t easy and the deprivation is stark. But there was live too and out of this grew a singular individual, intent to make their mark in their own way. I enjoyed the Stonewall era. I’ve visited that area and today, it’s totally unremarkable, but looking back, it was the centre for significant change. It’s a useful reminder that rights today, civil, gay or whatever, are the result of those who challenged the status quo. This is an incredible story, well written and gets right to the heart if an individual and community. It’s amusing, heartbreaking and very readable. Really enjoyed this significant insight. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley fir a review copy.

Thank you for my ARC, which was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been wanting to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, so when I was offered an ARC for this I was really excited!
This is a vibrant book about Marsha P. Johnson’s life (and legacy!). I feel like a comon fear when going into non fiction books is that they might feel too much like a textbook, and Tourmaline’s "Marsha" is such a perfect example of why that isn’t necessarily true.
It’s so important to learn about those who came before us and give them the respect they deserve. In this, you can feel the love and respect for Marsha oozing from the pages - from Tourmaline, from her friends, from her family, and from everyone else whose life was impacted by Marsha (either directly or indirectly).
Community is extremely important. It has always been. I loved how this book highlighted Marsha’s legacy. And I’m extremely grateful I got to learn more about her, and spend some time with her.
It was a beautiful book about a beautiful person.

"She couldn't ignore the challenges and violence around her, but she chose to use them as fuel to inspire herself and her loved ones to dream bigger. This wasn't just a high-minded principle for Marsha; the value of this practice was deeply felt."

Marsha P. Johnson was very much more than the person who started the Stonewall Riot, although she was also the person who started the Stonewall Riot, setting off a big push back against sexist and transphobic police in New York City and inspiring generations to be their authentic selves.

Eventually identifying as a trans woman (terminology was very different in those days, as the author Tourmaline carefully picks apart), Marsha yearned to move to the big city and managed to do so, but had a very hard life, living with neurodiversity, increasing disability including from a bullet lodged near her spine, and an environment which had horrific punitive laws, such as everyone having to wear three items of clothing that matched their born gender.

But Marsha lived a life devoted to art and to caring for others - she grew up learning housekeeping and "women's work" from her mother and applied that care through her life as well as more overt, visible activism, adopting young LGBTQ people who were on the streets, finding places for people to live, hustling then giving her earnings away, ending up caring for people with HIV and AIDS when so many people wouldn't.

Tourmaline has spent a lifetime studying Marsha and making art about her, including a number of films, and has been in touch with many of Marsha's remaining friends and family, while also doing careful research in archives, so she has put together a work that is both heartfelt and meticulously referenced (using a narrative referencing system at the back of the book which works really well here) - something I very much appreciate in a nonfiction book. Marsh's legacy is beautifully brought out at the end of the book, too.

I highlighted so much in this book as I went along that to share it all would be to retype the book. Instead, I urge you to read this!

Blog review published 17 May 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/05/17/black-queer-nonfiction-and-fiction-tourmaline-marsha-and-dean-atta-i-cant-even-think-straight/

An interesting read about the life of Marsha P Johnson, a black transgender activist. The book is well researched and is informative.

The tragic story of the sad life of Marsha makes at times a very dark tale but identified the risks taken when adopting such a lifestyle but shows Marshas courage and help for other people be they AIDs/HIV diagnosed or just transgender or gay. Well written account. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

The life of Marsha P. Johnson was a complicated one. She has been sinner, she has been saint, instigator and trailblazer. Her story has been written and rewritten over and again to suit many ends, from diminishing her role to a less pivotal one at Stonewall to diminishing her womanhood by calling her just a drag queen. There is no Stonewall in the UK but certainly the fight for queer rights was and continues to be a hard one. This book comes at a timely point, releasing not just close to the annual international Pride month but also as trans rights are being sytemically dismantled across the globe. Reading this book there was too much familiarity between hatred and discrimination in 1967 and the hatred and discrimination that we see building each day right now in 2025. Breaking the law, simply by existing. Refusing to hide.

There are flaws here of course. The author is clearly passionate, but not seasoned. Passages are repeated, maybe because there is not much left of Marsha that survives in her own words. Also I will say that to paint Marsha as a little too saintly is a mistake; she is human and allowed to be deeply flawed. The best biographies give both sides of the coin and I feel that the subject was far from ashamed to be exactly who she was. The world is better for her having existed, flaws and all.

A powerful recount of Marsha’s life, with important details and reflections on certain parts of her life. This biography once again cements Marsha’s place in LGBTQ+ history, there would be no pride with her and all of her allies. A quick but important read, with plenty of research and analysis.