Chapter Summaries

I. Once Upon a Time

• Discusses the author’s general background about how life used to be before the divorce of her parents

II. You Are Not Alone

• Discusses that there are other girls whose parents went through divorce. Besides learning from the experience of friends who had divorced parents, the author discusses how writing in a journal helped soothe her emotions. Illustrates the importance of confiding in someone or even comforting yourself.

III. You Are Young, Start Acting Like It!

• Stresses the importance of enjoying being a child, not allowing the stress and fights of one’s parents to force you to grow up and miss your childhood. Also discusses how  the author dealt with earning more responsibility as a child around the house.

IV. You Define Who You Are… No One Else

• Encourages readers to not allow society’s negative views on children without fathers influence their self-esteem. Finding success despite what others may say.

V. Others Try To Fill In, But They Can’t

• The proper and improper roles of father-figures in your life, including step-fathers, mother’s boyfriends, mother’s friends, god-fathers, grandfathers, etc.
• They can be your father-figures in your life, but understand that they may not be able to completely fill the shoes of your true father, and understand that that is okay.

VI. Again, Those Are Not Their Shoes to Fill

• Discusses the proper and improper roles of your male friends and boyfriends
• Discusses how male influence can influence the self-esteem of girls mentally, physically and emotionally. It is important to find happiness within oneself, no one else has that power unless one gives it to them.

VII. Keep It Moving, Don’t Stop

• Although the moment the father left, or the lasting impact that it has had on one’s family, was devastating to the reader, this chapter stresses how important it is to deal with it and keep moving forward.
• Encourages readers to use their anger as their fuel to keep pushing forward and moving higher in life.

VIII. There May Come A Time, So Be Ready

• In the instance that one’s father returns and wants to build a relationship again, this chapter expresses the feelings of the author when her father returns.

IX. Dealing With the Emotions

• In the instance that one’s father returns and wants to build a relationship again, this chapter expresses how the author deals with her emotions.

X. Why?!

• In the instance that one’s father returns and wants to build a relationship again, this chapter illustrates the author’s response to her father’s explanation of his absence.

XI. “So…Now What?!”

• After a father comes back into the life of a child, the reader must  make the decision of whether to forgive him, but no matter the choice, the reader must never forget who was there for her when her father was never around.

XII. What Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger

• After all of that is done, the situation has made the author stronger. This chapter emphasizes how important it is to read between the lines to find the true meaning of situations and how it benefits one’s growth for the long term.

XIII. Looking Forward….

• This chapter discusses the author’s feelings as she gets older and continues to build a relationship with her father. It also discusses the lessons that she has learned through this journey, including the lesson that she is the only one responsible for her actions (turning anger into positive energy).