summary ofBecoming NicoleBook by Amy Ellis Nutt

first KEY POINT

Bodies are a big part of the human experience

Although humans are physical beings, we are more than bodies. Still, we inevitably strive for beauty. Wyatt Maines meditated on the connection with his body since childhood. Let’s begin with his parents’ stories.

His mother, Kelly, grew up in a family where she didn’t have to behave “ladylike” and wasn’t ashamed about being born outside of marriage. Her aunt adopted Kelly when she was two and remained her guardian until she turned 17. After getting an education and landing a nice job, she met Wayne during a seminar. They were in a long-distance relationship for a year and eventually moved in together.Wayne grew up in a small town and worked many jobs while helping care for his siblings. He didn’t wish to keep doing blue-collar jobs forever, so he began his education. He got a doctorate from West Virginia University, where he met Kelly, who he married in three years.They managed to build a better life than their parents and decided they wanted to have kids. The Mainses opted for a private adoption when Kelly’s cousin got pregnant with identical twins: two boys, Wyatt and Jonas, but was too young to care for them.The twins displayed character differences very young. While Jonas liked Star Wars, Wyatt gravitated toward “girl” characters and hobbies, imitating Ariel from The Little Mermaid. One day he expressed to his dad that he hated his genitalia and didn’t want to wear the same flannels his brother wore. Wyatt was experiencing gender dysphoria.In this summary, we’ll follow Wyatt’s story from age two to his coming out and transition. While this story has many ups and downs, it is important, as it involves choosing clothes, socializing at school, and dealing with bullying.