In June, 1983, in Dutchess County, New York, Sebastian Cole joins his mother, step-father, and sister for dinner. Hank, Sebastians step-father, drops a bomb: he announces hes changing sexes. Sebastians sister splits immediately for California, and his mother takes him back to England. Jump ahead eight months, Sebastian is back in New York, knocking on Hanks door. Hank (now Henrietta, although all the surgeries arent complete) takes Sebastian in and is his rock over the next few months of high school. Sebastians adventures are mostly self-destructive.