Sarat Chestnut

The novel is a bildungsroman that traces Sarat’s journey from the age of six. It follows her radicalization and eventual imprisonment during the Second American Civil War, making her the narrative’s main character and an anti-hero of sorts. She is born outside of the Free Southern State in St. James, Louisiana, and has a twin sister, Dana. In contrast to Dana, Sarat is a tomboy. She has frizzy hair and a dark complexion, and is described as “stubborn, hard, undaunted by calamity” (12) like her mother. As a child, Sarat is fascinated by the natural world and likes to spend time outside. She is brought to a refugee camp, Camp Patience, in 2075, where she stays until the age of 12. She is bigger and taller than other children her age, and is considered by her peers as a “girl who was not like the other girls” (101). After...