Last night I read a book, called The Hunger Games, and it was write “I had a whole life.”

I am questioning myself because for me Having a whole life is related to the present, it means she has had a whole life before, it’s her experience. Tell me if I am wrong.

I know that if the action (to have a whole life) takes place before another action, we will use the past perfect:

“She had had a whole life before they took it from her.”

So can you tell me if “I had a whole life” is correct or do we have to say:

“I have had a whole life”

Or maybe both are correct?

I have difficulties to make the difference between the past simple and the present perfect.