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Monica was originally living with her mother, stepfather, and three sisters. She and her two older sisters were the daughters of her mother’s first husband, who was from an Arab country, while her younger sister was her half sister. She was looked on as the brainy one, did well at school and went on to do a university degree - the first one in her family to do so. Aware that her family were not well off, Monica always had a part time job to help support herself, and took a gap year in an office after leaving school in order to save money for when she was at university. At her first interview she had already just met the young man she ended up marrying, and subsequent interviews are full of his name, reflecting her intense concern with him and their relationship. When they split up for a while, it caused her much emotional stress. Never very happy with her body image, Monica occasionally developed an eating disorder - which seemed to subside when her relationship was stable. With her interest and aspirations in social science, Monica was involved in voluntary work throughout the study. She moved out of her family home during her first year at university into accommodation with her partner and a female friend. She eventually abandoned her original aspirations, but took another course and then work, and will no doubt start a family when the time is right.
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