While the reader meets George hiding her true identity from the world, this has not always been the case. As George is coming out as transgender, she and Mom remember a time when Mom “found” George wearing her “skirt as a dress” (170) and how she threw “a temper tantrum” when Mom would not buy her a tutu (171). As a child, George was drawn to what felt natural to her and experienced all the cruelty of not being allowed to do as she wished because of her assigned gender. However, at some unspecified point between that time and the novel’s narrative, George learns that she must hide her girlish inclinations along with her belief that she is a girl.

Still, George cannot help herself from putting together a collection of girls’ magazines from trash cans and recycling bins, which she hides in a denim bag. She even uses soft toys to “guard” the collection, deciding the bag does not provide enough of a disguise (2). The opening chapter is devoted to George’s elaborate ritual of ensuring that no one else is in the house. She peruses the magazines until the “clatter” outside warns her that someone is about to approach and potentially discover her secret (5).