I Know You Are, and I Am Too

About the Book

What does it mean to grow up differently in a world that insists on conformity? In a candid, uplifting memoir, sixteen-year-old Shaler Anderson invites others into her experiences living with alopecia—a condition that took away her hair but gave her a new lens for seeing beauty, strength, and belonging. Through recollections and honest reflections, she explores the moments that shaped her: the heartbreaking ones that tested her, the joyful ones that lifted her, and the everyday ones that taught her to hold her head high even when she wanted to disappear. Shaler pulls apart the lessons hidden in these experiences to show how self-love and self-worth can be built, piece by piece and story by story. For anyone who has ever felt different, invisible, or not quite settled in their own skin, Shaler’s words offer the comforting perspective that difference is not something to fear, but something to claim. I Know You Are, and I Am Too traces a teenager’s journey of living with alopecia, revealing resilience, identity, and the power of embracing what sets us apart.

About the Author

Shaler Anderson is a high school student who grew up with alopecia. By sharing her story, she hopes to inspire confidence, self-love, and resilience in young people, particularly those who present with new paradigms of beauty or individuality. Shaler lives in Park City, Utah.