Tassie Keltjin

Tassie Keltjin is a young woman attending college in Iowa after the 9/11 attacks. She takes a job as a nanny for a couple who are preparing to adopt a child.

From a family that owns a small farm, Tassie is half Jewish/half-Lutheran. While at school she becomes involved in her first serious relationship with Reynaldo, an international student she meets in a class on religion called Intro to Suffism.

Tassie wants to understand the world around her and makes sense of her relationships with others. She grows attached to the child she nannies, Mary-Emma, and struggles with her brother’s death.

Sarah Brink/Susan

Sarah is the woman who hires Tassie as a nanny for her adopted child. She is married to Edward and their relationships suffers from the strain of losing their biological child Gabriel.

Sarah wants acceptance and to be a parent. She feels...