The Secrets of My Life

Genre: Non-Fiction

This is the story of Bruce Jenner becoming Caitlyn Marie Jenner. Before Caitlyn, Bruce played the accordion, played college football, went on to win the 1976 decathlon, married and divorced three different women, including Kris Kardashian, mother to the Kardashian sisters, fathered and raised 10 children and step children, and then, at 65 years old, he transitioned into Caitlyn Marie. She introduces herself to the world in grand style, appearing first on ABC’s Diane Sawyer’s interview, then on Vanity Fair’s cover dressed in a bustier and finally appearing on ESPN’s ESPY awards where she wins the Arthur Ash Courage Award. In the book, Caitlyn talks about what life was like before Caitlyn, but spends a significant amount of the book talking about winning the decathlon, some on her transition and some on how people have responded to the new, authentic her.

I didn’t love this book. One of my favorite attributes in a person is humility. My husband is one of the smartest people I know, but you would never find him being the loudest person in any conversation. He has no need to boast. Caitlyn Jenner could seriously take a lesson on humility from him!

I really do appreciate that winning the 1976 decathlon was an achievement unlike any Jenner had experienced before. But, the decathlon, the win, the metals and the accolades all ended in 1976. That was 41 years ago! Since then, not much has happened for Jenner professionally other than speaking engagements. Personally, her life is mired with self-loathing and wandering through life without a purpose, all understandably so considering that she feels like she has lived her life in someone else’s body. That would be have been a great thing to address further in this book!

I also didn't like that Caitlyn uses this platform (her book) to speak ill of all three of her ex-wives and to fling dirt at those who criticized her (read the part about Harvey Levin of TMZ who threatened to break the story of her becoming a woman) and that feels unnecessary and a little sad.

The parts of her book that touched on her childhood and her experiences feeling like she didn’t belong were interesting. Explaining her transition and how she would sneak women’s clothes when she traveled so that she could dress as a woman at night, were all important to this story and I wish she focused more on that. The rest felt unnecessary.

Perhaps the most important lesson from this book is that Caitlyn was really always there. There isn’t a separation between Bruce and Caitlyn, they are one in the same. That was an important lesson and, again, I wish there were more of those in this book.

Ultimately, it feels like Caitlyn is still a work in progress. And maybe that’s OK, but a work in progress who is respectful, would have made for a better story-teller.