Becoming Nicole

December 14, 2015
This poignant account of a transgender girl's transition offers a heartfelt snapshot of a family whose only objective is to protect their daughter. Tackling the subject from a biological, social, and psychological viewpoint, Pulitzer-winning reporter Nutt (Shadows Bright as Glass) weaves complex elements of what being transgender means into a compelling narrative about a young woman who has identified as female since early childhood. Her middle-class family in rural Maine struggle to navigate the American education, legal, and medical systems in order for their daughter to "become Nicole." Tensions around a court case involving the designation of male and female bathrooms, Nicole's evolving relationship with her father, and the family's conflict between privacy and advocacy advance the story. Writing in a very journalistic tone, Nutt succeeds in placing Nicole's individual story within the more general narrative of transgender rights in the United States and humanizes the issues currently at play.

Starred review from January 1, 2016
Jonas and Wyatt entered the world as identical twin boys, adopted by Kelly and Wayne Maines after being born to Kelly's teenage cousin who wasn't ready to be a mother. By toddlerhood, Wyatt vocalized that she was a girl; Jonas always recognized he had a sister. Kelly supported Wyatt unconditionally as she asserted her true identity. Wayne's understanding took longer, but second grader Jonas provided him with the perfect explanation: "Face it, Dad, you have a son and a daughter." Wayne's growth from acceptance to activism is an inspiring lesson for all parents. Nutt ("Shadows Bright as Glass") follows the Maineses' journey as Wyatt becomes Nicole--a personal transformation to bring congruence both inside and out. Nutt edifies readers with history, science, medicine, and law, deftly exposing the family's challenges without demonizing the ignorant, fearful, at times downright nasty naysayers. VERDICT Nutt narrates with an inviting, open earnestness. Not an actor, she is a storyteller, with perfect timing--how did she know three years ago (when she began reporting on the Maineses) that transgender identity would be such an auspicious topic? "Nicole" should be in audio collections everywhere.--Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

How a politically conservative middle-class family defended their transgender daughter against bigotry and won a groundbreaking legal victory affirming gender identity. Although the state of Maine]home to the subjects of this book, the Maines family]was one of the early states to pass a law "creating domestic partnerships for same-sex couples," the civil rights of transsexuals opened new territory. The issue that led to the lawsuit was the decision by the Orono school board to exclude the Maines' transgender daughter, Nicole, from using the girls' bathroom after she entered fifth grade]a response to pressure by the Christian Civic League of Maine. More than five years later, the case was finally resolved at the level of Maine's Supreme Court. Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post health and science writer Nutt (Shadows Bright as Glass: The Remarkable Story of One Man's Journey from Brain Trauma to Artistic Triumph, 2011, etc.) weaves together a multilayered narrative, which begins with the private adoption of identical twin boys, Jonas and Wyatt. At age 3, the twins were sociable, lively, and healthy, but Wyatt had begun to exhibit problems with his gender identity. He told his father, "Daddy, I hate my penis," and had begun to show an interest in girls' clothing and toys. The author chronicles the steady evolution of Wyatt's conviction that he was really a girl and the evolving dynamic this created within the family. Nutt reports on medical opinion that gender is established physiologically within the brain and is a matter of heredity. This is especially fascinating in the case of identical twins raised together, only one of whom is transgendered. What is clear in this gripping account is the strength of the emotional bond within the family as Wyatt became Nicole, a bond that deepened as the stakes increased and pressure mounted. A timely, signification examination of the distinction between sexual affinity and sexual identity. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.