Summary

Tolentino describes the intimate connection between the stories we read and the stories we live. She describes the vivid portrayals of both bravery and bitterness in literature, and how it has helped shape her identity in both childhood and adulthood.

Tolentino begins with an analysis of female protagonists in popular childhood books. Through examples such as From the Mixed-Up Files and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, she acknowledges that childhood heroines are naturally resilient, generally undiminished by the challenging circumstances they are forced into. She argues that we generally find childhood heroines lovable, regardless of their conventional agreeableness. For instance, Ramona Quimby from the Beezus and Romona series is highly problematic, but is characterized from a likable perspective. Many of these protagonists are forced to work difficult jobs out of economic necessity - the industrious nature of these characters generates a sense of...