Ellen DeGeneres is born in the Jefferson Parish of Louisiana in January of 1958. Ellen begins the book trying to recall her childhood but seems to remember very little. She makes a point that while there is a multitude of photos of her older brother, Van, there are very few of her. Perhaps the reason is that, according to a neighbor at the time, she is fat with a large head and no hair. At the age of eight, Ellen moves with the family to Atlanta, a small town in Texas. According to her high school counselor, she struggles through her classes but is supported by her teachers who try to help her. Everyone now remembers her as a bright student but Ellen says that this is probably due to her fame. After graduation, Ellen moves back to her home state and works as a waitress in a restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans.