“Mom used to tell people that I was ‘shy.’ But suddenly, I wasn’t anymore. I had a friend. And she was all mine. We had the best adventures together.”

Adrienne is the first friend that Shannon ever makes. She helps Shannon come out of her shell, and Shannon finds most of her confidence in her friendship with Adrienne. Her relationship with Adrienne is Shannon’s start at Forming Genuine Friendships.

“Wendy and Laura were close in age. So were Cynthia and Joseph. I felt kind of alone in the middle.”

Shannon often feels like the odd one out in her family. She does not have a sibling close to her in age who can be a friend, and this contributes to her feelings of isolation and loneliness.

“Later I felt bad that I didn’t hug Tammy or anything. But I was way too excited. My wish had come true.”

In hindsight, Shannon realizes that she may not have been the best friend to Tammy, as she spent much of their friendship missing Adrienne and wishing she would come back. The medium of memoir allows Shannon Hale to reflect on her actions as a child with the benefit of being able to think differently about them as an adult.