This past weekend, Kristin Beck (formerly Chris Beck) released a memoir entitled Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL’s Journey to Coming Out as Transgender. Beck was a member of the decorated SEAL Team 6, served 20 years in the Navy, and began her transition in 2011. The book is a riveting account of both her experience in the military and her process as coming out as transgender.

OutServe Magazine reviewed an exclusive copy of the memoir last month, offering the following praise:

Speckhard and Beck have teamed up to give us one of the smartest and most important books of the year. Warrior Princess is the story of Kristin Beck, formerly Chris, a decorated Navy SEAL and American patriot who faced a lifelong struggle to come to terms with her gender identity.

The book could stand alone as an account of Beck’s distinguished career in the military, but Warrior Princess has a bolder message to send to its readers: transgender people are people…and some of them are even our national heroes.

Beck is a natural protagonist…strong, hardworking, and deeply patriotic. Every reader can relate to her, whether it’s her coming of age story, her decision to join the elite Navy SEALs, or even her coming to terms with her gender identity. And where Kristin’s experiences differ from the readers’, Speckhard subtly exercises her understanding of psychology and sociology to bridge the gap.

Whether a pacifist or a hawk, advocate or opponent of LGBT equality, Warrior Princess is a raw, honest, and surprisingly relatable read.

To purchase a copy of Warrior Princess, click here.