A young girl named Fairy recounts her tumultuous childhood, having been raised by chaotic and fighting parents who eventually divorced. In an attempt to reconcile her parents, Fairy devises a plan with her identical twin sister Diaz to switch places, with Fairy going to Italy with their mother and Diaz staying in Turkey with their father. However, their plan is soon ruined when their mother becomes engaged to a new partner and their father starts a new family as well.
Fairy struggles to adapt to her new life in Italy, facing language barriers and cultural differences. She also has to deal with her mother's newfound happiness and her own feelings of emptiness and loneliness. Eventually, Fairy's father discovers the truth about the switched twins and reunites with his daughters.
In a surprising turn of events, Fairy's parents reveal that they have been happy apart and that their decision to divorce was not a mistake. They reassure their daughters that they will always be loved and supported, even if they don't live together as a family. Fairy and Diaz come to accept their parents' decision and find happiness in their new living arrangements, with Fairy choosing to live with her mother in Italy and regularly visiting her father and his new family in Turkey.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The narrator, Fairy, is from New York.
2. Fairy has a twin sister named Diaz.
3. Their parents, who are from Turkey and Italy, fought constantly.
4. On the day they were born, their parents each chose one twin to raise.
5. Fairy's dad chose her and taught her Turkish.
6. Fairy's mom taught Diaz Italian.
7. Despite speaking English at home, the language difference caused chaos and misunderstandings in the family.
8. Fairy and Diaz looked identical and were often mistaken for each other.
9. When Fairy was 8, she made a card for her mom, but her mom got angry and called her a "fat cow."
10. Fairy's parents fought constantly, and she often got caught in the middle.
11. In seventh grade, Fairy's parents told her and Diaz that they were getting a divorce.
12. Fairy and Diaz were devastated and decided to run away to prevent the divorce.
13. However, their plan failed, and their parents went through with the divorce.
14. Fairy came up with a new plan to switch places with Diaz and go to Italy with their mom.
15. Fairy's mom had a huge house in Italy and threw a pool party.
16. Fairy was enrolled in an Italian school, where she struggled to communicate due to the language barrier.
17. Fairy got into trouble at school for ordering extra cheese on her pizza, which is considered rude in Italy.
18. Fairy's mom started dating a man named Roberto, who proposed to her in a romantic way.
19. Fairy was shocked and tried to sabotage the relationship.
20. Fairy's dad told her mom that he knew she was pretending to be Fairy and that he was getting engaged.
21. Fairy's mom and dad eventually met and revealed the truth about the switching plan.
22. In the end, Fairy and Diaz decided to live with their mom in Italy but visited their dad and his new family often.