Consequences of Normal

By Elle Baade

A devoted mother fights to change hearts and minds while protecting her transgender child in a hopeful and poignant novel about family, finding your voice, and the illusion of normalcy.

Jane Zander has moved with her husband, Matt, back to his hometown of Atwood, Wisconsin, where he is the new headmaster of the prestigious Atwood Prep School. Jane hopes it will be a good fit for herself, her husband, and their children. Especially Charles, their six-year-old son, who aspires to be the next Julia Child, rejects the norms of boyhood, and insists he is a girl.

Jane only wants Charles to be happy. Matt, fearing for his own reputation in a town small enough for everyone to know everything, is in denial. And Charles is facing increasing pressure to conform. When Jane befriends Libby, an Atwood outcast, her advocacy for Charles grows even stronger. Then an unforeseen crisis changes everything, forcing a husband and wife, a family, and a community to confront their beliefs about gender, identity, and unconditional love.

Compassionate and illuminating, The Consequences of Normal explores the journey of a mother and child navigating a different but true path of their own.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1662532458
• ISBN13: 9781662532450
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
• Length: 267 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.4"