Summary

The Prologue opens to a two-year old boy, Wyatt Maines, dressed in a tutu and Mardi Gras beads and dancing to his reflection. His father, filming him, asks him to show his muscles, but the boy does not comply. While Wyatt and his identical twin, Jonas, look the same, their emotions and traits are different. Wyatt is moodier and prefers imitating his mother and playing with dolls. The author, Amy Ellis Nutt, describes how, at six months, babies can feel the difference between male and female.

Chapter 1 introduces Wayne and Kelly Maines, Wyatt’s parents. Kelly is of German ancestry and was born in Madison, Indiana. Her biological mother gives Kelly to her sister to raise when Kelly is two years old. Kelly leaves home at 17 and works low-paying jobs for years, then realizes she needs more structure. She takes college classes...