Solving her own problem enables her to be independent. I think Dory is strong because she finds a creative solution to her problem she creates her own world since the one she lives in falls short. What makes Dory a strong girl, in your opinion? If anything in the book seems authentic, that’s because it is! I shamelessly stole everything from them.ģ. There isn’t one page that I could have written with out them. I took so many things from both of their personalities and poured it into Dory. But everything else in the book (the details, the dialogue, the humor, the games Dory plays) comes straight from my own lovable pests –my twins, who were five year olds when I wrote the book. Yes, Dory’s feelings are all ones that linger from my childhood. How did you find this character? Is she pure fabrication or is she based on someone you know – maybe even YOU? As the powerless member of my family, this is where I draw my strength – from the accomplishment of writing about something painful and making it funny.Ģ. My relationship to my family has always been my primary struggle, and I think that is why I was drawn to write about it. The sibling dynamic in Dory’s family is similar to my own, and even continued into adulthood.

I am the youngest of three kids and was always the black sheep in my family. What was it about the experience of being excluded that drew you to write about it? You managed to capture the painful moments of being left out by older siblings, all while wrapping this book in humor.

This week, we talk strong girls and family life with Abby Hanlon, author of Dory Fantasmagory.ġ. What happens when you mix mothering twins with your own memories of being the youngest kid in a family? Sometimes, a gem of a book.

Dory books by abby hanlon