Like many women my age, I grew up envying the relationships between Blair, Jo, Natalie and Tootie on The Facts of Life.  I thought the relationships between the girls epitomized everything that a friendship between girls should be ~ loving, supportive and genuine.  In my child’s mind, I didn’t realize that the friendships were fictional.  Lisa Whelchel, who played Blair, writes:  “I think there is a certain irony in the fact that the television show I was on was all about female friendships, and yet in real life I had very little experience with close relationships.”  This book is her exploration of what impeded her ability to develop close relationships…