Missed Her

Missed Her collects personal essays and short stories by Ivan Coyote, a storyteller and writer from Canada's Yukon Territory. The pieces range from childhood memories to adult experiences navigating gender identity, family relationships, and life in both rural and urban environments. The book moves between moments of humor and gravity as Coyote recounts interactions with strangers, family members, and communities across Canada. Their observations focus on everyday encounters that reveal deeper truths about gender expression, belonging, and human connection. The stories incorporate elements of both memoir and creative storytelling, drawing from Coyote's experiences as a performer and writer. Each piece stands alone while contributing to the larger narrative about identity and acceptance. The collection examines the complexities of gender, family bonds, and social expectations through intimate personal narratives that resist simple categorization. Through these stories, Coyote explores how people navigate spaces between established definitions and find their own paths forward.

Readers appreciate Coyote's storytelling ability and personal, intimate tone. The short story format allows readers to consume the book in small segments. Multiple reviews note the author's skill at capturing family dynamics and queer experiences in Western Canada. Readers highlight specific stories like "The Curse?" and "You Are Here" as standouts for their emotional impact and relatable themes. Many reviews mention laughing out loud at Coyote's humor while also being moved by more serious moments. Some readers found the short story format too brief, wanting more depth and development. A few noted that some stories felt repetitive in theme. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (444 ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (12 ratings) Sample review: "These stories read like sitting down for coffee with a friend who happens to be an amazing storyteller. Coyote captures small moments that reveal universal truths." - Goodreads reviewer

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🌟 Ivan Coyote is one of Canada's most celebrated storytellers and has been performing their work live for over 25 years 📚 The book is a collection of short stories drawn from Coyote's personal experiences, focusing on gender identity, family relationships, and life in Canada's Yukon Territory 🎭 Coyote's writing style blends humor with poignant observations about gender non-conformity and challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community 🏆 Missed Her was a Lambda Literary Award finalist and helped establish Coyote as a leading voice in queer and transgender literature 🎤 Many of the stories in Missed Her were first developed as oral performances, reflecting Coyote's background as a spoken word artist and storyteller