The Maines twin boys were identical - except one always identified as female. From New York Times bestselling author Amy Ellis Nutt comes a powerful and intimately reported narrative of the brave girl and her family at the center of a groundbreaking movement to expand the rights and dignity of transgender children across America.
When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But it wasn't long before they noticed a marked difference between Jonas and his brother, Wyatt. Jonas preferred sports and trucks and many of the things boys were "supposed" to like; but Wyatt liked princess dolls and dress-up and playing Little Mermaid. By the time the twins were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt's insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept and embrace Wyatt's transition to Nicole, and to undergo an emotionally wrenching transformation of their own that would change all their lives forever.
Becoming Nicole chronicles a journey that could have destroyed a family but instead brought it closer together. It's the story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and acceptance, not ostracism and disapproval; of a Republican, Air Force veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to become a vocal advocate for trans rights; of a loving brother who bravely stuck up for his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its prejudices, a school compelled to rewrite its rules, and a courageous community of transgender activists determined to make their voices heard. Ultimately Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself.
Granted wide-ranging access to personal diaries, home videos, clinical journals, legal documents, medical records, and the Maineses themselves, Amy Ellis Nutt spent almost four years reporting this immersive account of an American family confronting an issue that is the center of today's cultural debate. Becoming Nicole will resonate with anyone who's ever raised a child, felt at odds with society's conventions and norms, or had to embrace life when it plays out unexpectedly. It's a story of standing up for your beliefs and yourself - and it will inspire all of us to do the same.
Book Review:
*I'm doing my best to use the pronouns the way that they were used in the book. Please do not get offended if I use them wrong. I am not fully educated. I'd be willing to accept any information that you can give me, but please do not be rude.*
I picked up this book because I know people who are mentioned and I live in a town that they were raised in for the first couple of years of their life. I read this book because I was curious of how Nicole knew that when she was a girl. After finishing this book, my eyes are open to a completely different world. I have always accepted anyone that I have encountered who has been a part of the LGBTQA+ community. I try to avoid any prejudice towards them. I try to be as accepting as I can. I feel that this book has given me a perspective that will make it even easier to be accepting because I feel for people in this community who are constantly having to fight for basic rights because of their gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
Nicole's journey was heartbreaking originally. I felt so bad for Wyatt. All he wanted was to be a girl and at such a young age he couldn't understand why he was born a boy, why his twin brother was happy with who he was, and why no one understood why he wanted to do "girl" things. I was so excited for him when he was finally able to be a girl, change his name to Nicole. I was even more excited for that young boy when at 18, Nicole was able to finally able to have her sex reassignment surgery. I cam close to tears many times.
Pages: 262 Rate: 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment