Rachel Eliason

In early 2010, Rachel had transitioned to living full time as a woman for two years. She loved her new life and was happier than she had ever been, except for one small thing. And that was correctable. So she packed her bags and went to Bangkok, Thailand for SRS (sexual reassignment surgery). Part travelogue and part memoir, The Agony, The Ecstasy and the Buddha is a month long journey to Thailand, and an intimate look at what it means to have sexual reassignment surgery in a foreign country.

Life in a small town can be tough when you're a little different, but for a fifteen year old transgender kid it can truly be hell. Clark is harassed daily at school for his effeminate behavior and appearance. He has no friends and a brother that is as likely to be on the teasing as to prevent it. When Clark is offered a job babysitting for the Pirella family, it seems like a godsend. The money is good. He bonds with the girls almost instantly. The father, Tony, works in computer security. Tony and Clark strike up a friendship based on a mutual love of computers and hacking. As Tony becomes aware of Clark's transsexuality and his growing feminine alter ego, Clarissa, things become incredibly complicated. Will Tony be Clarissa's salvation, or her undoing?