Kyra Carlson

Kyra is the main character of the novel. Kyra is a thirteen-year-old girl who has lived all her life in an isolated compound. Kyra's family is part of a religious group that believes that a man must have three wives to earn his way into heaven and that marriage at thirteen is normal and expected of all females of the community. Kyra will be fourteen soon, therefore it is no surprise that the Prophet, the leader of the Compound, has decided it is time for her to be married. Unfortunately, Kyra is to marry her elderly uncle rather than the young man she loves.

Kyra is a good girl. Kyra spends much of her day doing chores and caring for her many younger siblings. However, Kyra is also a normal, curious teenager. For this reason, Kyra has begun sneaking books from a mobile library, learning about the...