2. This opener is quite strong. The writer's description of her father's action as a "divorce" is very vivid, and much more descriptive than if she had written that he "left" her. The writer also exudes a quiet confidence; she shows us she is smart by describing how her father helped instill her passion for "art, literature and...languages." We also know that she is by no means a perfect person; her honesty in describing her own failure to give her family a priority in her life is poignant, and the reader wants to learn more about her, how she resolved her crisis, and what she has learned from it.

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