Call Me Helen

"Is. This. My. Son?" No matter how often Tobias Wilke poses this question, there's always only one answer: Yes! Tobias can't believe his eyes when he comes to the airport to pick up his 17-year-old son Finn—and learns that Finn is now calling herself Helen and wearing girls' clothes. Finn/Helen reveals that she has always been a girl, and that she used her year abroad in San Francisco to pass the "everyday life" test, which is required by law for everyone preparing for the sex reassignment surgery they will undergo upon reaching majority. Reactions from Helen's friends, acquaintances, and schoolmates cover the entire gamut from derision to solidarity. Especially Helen's father, a well-known chef, finds it difficult to accept a situation he cannot understand. But Helen nearly always finds the right words—and humor—to counterbalance the ignorance and jeers of those around her. It is the beginning of a long, winding road toward the sexual identity she is convinced is hers.