Summary

The author describes the process by which she and Harry decided on a Native American name for their son: Igasho, meaning “he who wanders” (135), and how their concerns about two white people giving their white child an Indian name were allayed by a Native American nurse. There is then narration of Harry’s succession of names: how he was born with one, got another when he was adopted, gave himself a nickname in school, changed his name (to Harriet) when he was older, and finally (after his transition) settled on Harry. Narration then describes that Harry found his birth mother and learned that his biological father was violent and not someone his birth mother lived with or married. Harry also learned that his biological brother was an addict and died young. The author then comments that Harry had his “last drink at...