Julia, the youngest in her family, resented her controlling father and brothers. Her father's obsession with having a "perfect" daughter led to Julia being subjected to beauty treatments from a young age. When Julia developed a rare skin condition called dermographism, her father's attitude changed, and he eventually left the family for another woman. Julia's relationship with her best friend Monica soured when Monica became jealous of Julia's relationship with a boy. Despite the challenges, Julia persevered, focusing on her education and eventually marrying Elon, with whom she had a daughter, teaching her to love herself as she is.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Julia, is from Ukraine.
2. Julia has three older brothers.
3. Her father never wanted a girl and only wanted to have sons.
4. Julia's mother always wanted a daughter.
5. Julia's father was very proud of his masculinity for having only sons.
6. When Julia was born, her father said to her mother, "So you finally did it. I swear if she's not pretty, you'll really pay for it."
7. Julia's mother took care of her and made an effort to make her look pretty.
8. Julia's father forbade her from eating junk food.
9. Julia started going to beauty salons when she was five years old.
10. Julia had manicures and pedicures every day as a child.
11. Julia learned to read and write at a hair salon.
12. Julia's father was delighted when she turned out to be pretty.
13. Julia's father showed her off to the neighborhood while carrying her on his shoulders.
14. Julia was assigned the role of the princess's father in a school play, but her father intervened and got her the role of the princess instead.
15. Julia's father was embarrassed by her when she developed a rare skin condition called armographism.
16. Julia's skin condition causes her to break out in red rashes when she gets emotional or angry.
17. Julia's father told her that he didn't want a daughter like her.
18. Julia's mother took her to a dermatologist, but they couldn't find a cure for her condition.
19. Julia's father left the family because he fell in love with a rich woman 15 years older than him.
20. Julia's mother started dating a new man after her father left.
21. Julia's brothers were not happy with their mother's new relationship and two of them left the house.
22. Julia started wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants to hide her skin condition in high school.
23. Julia was bullied and pointed at by her classmates because of her skin condition.
24. Julia met a boy named Shawn in high school, and they started dating.
25. Shawn's sister, Monica, was jealous of Julia and tried to break them up.
26. Julia and Shawn broke up briefly, but they got back together.
27. Shawn's parents were lovely and welcoming to Julia.
28. Monica was rude and hostile towards Julia, even in front of her parents.
29. Julia forgave Monica and tried to make amends, but Monica was still hostile.
30. Julia started dating a jock named John after breaking up with Shawn.
31. Julia went to Monica's house for dinner and met Shawn again, who revealed that he was Monica's brother.
32. Shawn's parents were embarrassed by Monica's behavior and told her to shut up and go to her room.
33. Julia and Shawn got back together, and they eventually got married.
34. Julia and Shawn had a baby girl named Nastasia.
35. Julia's mother was delighted to hear about her marriage and pregnancy but was too busy to visit.