Grace Bennett

Though Grace’s character changes over the course of the novel, she is first presented as a brash but observant and clever young girl. She is ten years old and looking forward to the fast-approaching school holiday. When a neighbor, Mrs. Creasy disappears, Grace is interested, but not necessarily concerned. As the days pass, Grace becomes alarmed at her disappearance; it presents a break in the safety and usual pattern of the neighborhood. She sets off on a quest to find Mrs. Creasy and God, hoping this will answer many of life’s questions that seem mind-boggling to her, such as why people have to disappear or die.

Over the course of her summer holiday, Grace is given challenges to overcome on her journey, but none greater than thinking her best friend, Tilly, may die. Whereas she was able to control her environment in the past through...