Tess

Tess is the main character of the novel. She spent her entire life believing that she was born bad and constantly searched for a way out of the life her mother wanted for her. This damaged her self-confidence and made her susceptible to Will’s manipulation. Tess carries guilt throughout the novel and thinks that she is to blame for her family’s ill will and the loss of her baby. Over the course of her journey, the people Tess meets allow her to overcome her past piece by piece. By the end of the novel, after she meets Anathuthia, Tess imagines herself as someone who has been reborn. She moves into the next part of her life without any resentment or guilt toward her family.

Tess’ strongest relationship is with Pathka. After Tess saved him as children, she dedicated herself to learning his language, and is one...