The narrator, Catherine, recounts her childhood in a small Norwegian village where she was ostracized due to her dark skin, hair, and eyes, which differed from the predominantly white and blonde villagers. Her parents, ashamed of her appearance, kept her isolated and hid her from relatives.
At six, Catherine's parents took a family photo, but her father removed her from the picture. She then drew devil horns on her parents' heads in the torn photo.
When Catherine was 11, a woman from the United States visited and asked to take her picture. The woman later returned with a lawyer and offered to adopt Catherine, which her parents initially refused but eventually accepted after being bribed.
Catherine moved to Los Angeles with her adoptive mother, Betty, who showed her love and kindness. At school, Catherine struggled to fit in with her peers, who complimented her appearance but didn't share her interests. She befriended a girl named Lisa, who was ostracized by their classmates due to her family's financial struggles.
Catherine also encountered a girl named Stella, who was part of the popular crowd but was revealed to be treated poorly by her parents. Catherine witnessed Stella's parents belittling her and later shared this information with the class, which led to Stella's downfall.
Stella sought revenge by destroying Catherine's science project, but was caught on camera and expelled from school. Catherine intervened, and Stella was given a second chance.
However, Stella's behavior didn't change, and she was eventually sent to a boarding school in Europe. Catherine regretted her actions and the two never reconciled.
The story concludes with Catherine reflecting on her past and her current role as a social worker, helping children find loving homes like she did with her adoptive mother, Betty.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Catherine, was born in a small Norwegian village.
2. Catherine's mother and the midwife were shocked by her appearance at birth.
3. Catherine's parents and the villagers considered her to be ugly due to her dark hair, eyes, and skin.
4. Catherine was a lonely child and had no siblings because her father was afraid to have more "ugly" children.
5. Catherine's parents did not love her and treated her poorly.
6. When Catherine was six years old, her parents realized they couldn't hide her from their relatives and took a family photo.
7. Catherine's father pulled her out of the photo and she later glued the torn part back together and drew devil horns on her parents' heads.
8. When Catherine was eleven years old, an American woman named Betty came to their village and asked to take a picture of Catherine.
9. Betty returned a year later with a lawyer and offered to adopt Catherine and take her to America.
10. Catherine's parents initially refused, but eventually agreed after Betty offered them a large sum of money.
11. Catherine moved to Los Angeles with Betty and started attending school.
12. Catherine initially struggled to fit in, but eventually made friends with a girl named Aliya.
13. Catherine and Aliya became close friends and started hanging out in the library during breaks.
14. Catherine also started to learn English with the help of a tutor.
15. Catherine was surprised to find that her new classmates complimented her and found her beautiful.
16. Catherine became part of a popular group at school, but soon realized that they were not like her and only cared about material things.
17. Catherine befriended a girl named Lisa, who was poor and was treated poorly by the popular group.
18. Catherine stood up for Lisa and defended her against the popular group.
19. Catherine discovered that Stella, the leader of the popular group, was treated poorly by her parents and was miserable despite her wealth.
20. Catherine and Stella got into a fight after Catherine revealed Stella's secret to the class.
21. Stella took revenge on Catherine by breaking her science project.
22. Catherine forgave Stella and asked the school director not to expel her.
23. Stella was suspended for two weeks, and Catherine tried to make amends with her.
24. Stella refused to forgive Catherine and left school after being kicked out.
25. Catherine never saw Stella again, but later found out that Stella's parents sent her to a boarding school in Europe.
26. Catherine graduated from university and became a social worker to help children find loving homes.
27. Catherine was grateful to her adoptive mother, Betty, who loved her unconditionally.