Becoming Nicole: The Extraordinary Transformation of an Ordinary Family

''Becoming Nicole is a powerful and illuminating book about one couple''s journey in coming to accept and nurture their transgender daughter. It''s a page turner and a heart opener. I couldn''t recommend it more highly.'' Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

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 little boys were ''supposed'' to like; but Wyatt liked princess dolls and dressing 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.

Becoming Nicole is the heart-wrenching story of a mother whose instincts told her that her child needed love and not disapproval; of a conservative, army-veteran father who overcame his deepest fears to embrace his new daughter; of a loving brother who never gave up supporting his twin sister; and of a town forced to confront its own prejudices. More than that, however, Becoming Nicole is the story of an extraordinary girl who fought for the right to be herself.