Thank you for everything!

I’m writing to thank you for giving me a friend. Although I grew up in a large family, I was a very lonely child. Now at 25, I’ve never stopped thinking of Alice, who was my constant companion through every stage of childhood. My mom read Starting with Alice with me in 2002 right before I went into the 3rd grade. Every year I read another of your books including Alice on Board the summer before I went into college. I’ve put off Now I’ll Tell You Everything in an attempt to keep her story going in my mind. I hope that you know how many lessons you’ve taught through Alice’s mistakes and experiences that I and other girls would have had to learn the hard way. Including giving girls the confidence to declare “I have to pee, I’ll be right back” a lesson Alice learned before her first real date with Patrick (that was mind-blowing to me and my pre-teen friend group). I could never thank you enough for the gift of Alice, a real, whole person that you made up in your head. She, and you, have made such a positive impact on my life, and I’ll never forget that.

I’m so glad it helped.   Yes, I was also the girl who supposedly  “never went to the bathroom” on a date.  In fact, eating in front of a boyfriend was embarrassing to me.  I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have made my dates.   (“What in the world is wrong with this girl?”)  The more accepting we become of ourselves, the more comfortable it makes those around us. Thanks so much for writing to me!