Mazie is the main character, and the oldest of the Holbrook children. She is six years old at the beginning of the book, and eight at the end. When she is six, Mazie thinks of herself as very capable and knowledgeable about the world. In reality, she is quite ignorant, knowing nothing of life outside of a tiny mining town. Nonetheless, she has already learned about working hard, since she often helps her mother take care of the other children. As she starts to understand what a frightening place the world is, she asks her parents why bad things happen to them. Mazie is curious about the world around her, and proud when she learns to read at the country school. Later, after the family has moved to the slaughterhouse town, Mazie withdraws into herself, living in a fantasy world on a farm. Lost in an urban education system, she quickly falls behind at school, and her teachers tell her how stupid she is. Mazie begins to feel that she is ugly and shameful, and she wishes she could hide her ugly, ragged clothing. As she comes to terms with the rough social dynamics of city children, Mazie no longer helps out at home, as she is horrified by the situation there.
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