The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes

There are so many twists and turns in the tale that follows that it sometimes reads like a thriller . . . She's a skilful storyteller, and her descriptions of the Scottish landscape are so vivid I wanted to leap on a train and gaze at the falling sun making the shadows of beech trees a ladder of light * Sunday Times * Class, sex, money, perjury - the story of how Elisabeth became Sir Ewan has everything . . . Zoe Playdon tells a remarkable story here: part legal mystery, part courtroom drama, part family saga. It's driven by class, sex and money and it contains one of the most audacious acts of perjury you're ever likely to read about * The Times * A landmark story of trans rights . . . A complex story compellingly told * Times Literary Supplement * The case of Ewan Forbes was a landmark, and kudos to Playdon for unearthing it * Herald * Zoe Playdon's erudite, passionate [and] ultimately persuasive new book . . . encapsulates this reality by telling three stories at once . . . This account is contextualized by a rich and riveting social history of trans people's rocky road to cultural acceptance in the West, from the early 20th century up to the current day * New York Times * A revelation . . . Zoe Playdon has written a formidable book . . . Magnificently researched and told -- Michael Cashman, author of ONE OF THEM Zoe Playdon shines dazzling light on the case of an early trans pioneer, a man whose dignity and courage remain an inspiration to a new generation of trans people, and those that love us. Abundant with compassion, clarity, and meticulous research, Ms. Playdon ensures that Ewan Forbes' case will remain hidden no more. Urgent, generous, and wise -- Jennifer Finney Boylan, author of SHE'S NOT THERE and GOOD BOY As a seasoned activist and skilled academic, Zoe Playdon provides us with an illuminating account of the trans struggle for justice, human rights and equality. Her lens is the secret case of Ewan Forbes, where a class-based legal system sought to preserve male primogeniture. This is a landmark work of history, law and social change -- Baroness Helena Kennedy QC