I'll Have What She's Having

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to sexual violence, substance use, and sexual content.

Chapter 1 Summary: “Little Girl”

Chelsea Handler describes the woman she dreamed of becoming when she was young. She wanted to be strong, self-possessed, and opinionated. She wanted to be confident, beautiful, and smart. She wanted to be happy, honest, and to “set an example for all other women” (4).

Handler describes the time she opened a lemonade stand. She was 10 years old and invoked her sister, Shana, to help. To make money, Handler spiked the lemonade. She didn’t make the money she wanted on their first day in business; she fired Shana and hired their neighbor, Nelson. They made almost $400 their first week.

Handler recalls the first time she rode an airplane. She was 10 and disappointed when her mother told her she couldn’t ride first class. The next time she took a plane she was 15 and her family was taking a vacation to Martha’s Vineyard. She’d been saving money through her babysitting jobs and bought her own first-class ticket. In her first-class seat, she looked around and felt she belonged.