The narrator, a girl from Manhattan, shares her story of growing up with a rare condition called hyperthymesia, which allows her to remember memories in perfect detail. Her mother left her and her father when she was four years old, and her father never told her why. Throughout her childhood, the narrator faces bullying and mean behavior from a girl named Michelle, who is the daughter of a wealthy and powerful politician.
As the narrator grows older, her father starts dating a woman named Emily, who becomes her teacher and eventually her stepmother. The narrator struggles to accept Emily, feeling that she is replacing her mother and that her father is not prioritizing her.
The narrator's animosity towards Emily and Michelle comes to a head when she is suspended from school after a fight with Michelle. However, Emily surprises her by defending her and helping her to apologize to Michelle.
The narrator's feelings towards Emily begin to change when Emily helps her in a difficult situation, and they start to form a bond. The narrator's father returns home and is happy to see the two of them getting along.
Throughout the story, the narrator's memories and experiences are woven together to create a narrative that explores themes of family, identity, and acceptance.
1. The narrator was born in Manhattan to what she thought were normal parents.
2. When the narrator was four years old, she came down on Christmas morning and opened presents, but none were for her.
3. The narrator's mother had a rare condition called hyperthymesia, which meant she could sometimes remember memories in perfect detail.
4. The narrator's mother left when she was four years old and never came back.
5. The narrator's father took care of her and even combed her hair.
6. The narrator had a difficult time in school, especially with a girl named Michelle.
7. In fifth grade, the narrator's school had a Mother's Day event, and everyone made clay ornaments for their mothers.
8. The narrator did not know her mother would not come to the event.
9. A boy asked the narrator to a school dance in eighth grade, and she accepted.
10. The narrator's father started dating her teacher, Miss Emily.
11. The narrator was initially resistant to the idea of her father marrying Miss Emily.
12. Miss Emily and the narrator's father got engaged.
13. The narrator's friends accused her of cheating on a math test because she got the highest marks.
14. The narrator got into a fight with Michelle and was expelled from school for a month.
15. The narrator's father married Miss Emily.
16. The narrator's father went out of town on business, leaving her alone with Miss Emily.
17. The narrator snuck out of the house to go to a fair with a senior from her school named Ashton.
18. Michelle and Ashton left the narrator stranded on a Ferris wheel at the fair.
19. Miss Emily found the narrator and took her home.
20. Michelle and Ashton were punished for leaving the narrator at the fair by cleaning the school bathrooms for two months.
21. The narrator and Miss Emily became friends after the incident.