Lincoln

Lincoln is in his late twenties at the time of the novel. Kind and quiet, Lincoln is intellectually curious, though he has trouble finding focus academically and, as shown in this novel, throughout his early adulthood. At the beginning of the novel, Lincoln still lives with his mother, who is extremely overbearing and coddling, much to the distaste of Lincoln's older, married sister, Eve. Somewhat of a geek in high school, Lincoln falls in love with his classmate, the wildly passionate and popular Samantha ("Sam"). Sam is quite tiny, very opinionated, and has a flare for the dramatic. Lincoln's mother, who never liked Sam, seems to be rooting against their relationship. Lincoln believes that they will be together forever, that they will get married, but when he follows her to a college in California things become tense between them. Finally, they brake up, and Lincoln feels deeply wounded...