Polyhymnia O'Keefe

Polyhymnia, known as Polly, is the book's central character. She is 16 years old, tall, red-headed, intelligent, and the oldest of seven children. Her parents are both scientists. Polly was raised on the island of Gaea off the coast of Portugal, and speaks Gaean, French, German, and Portuguese. She is an able swimmer and a curious person. She is particularly interested in anthropology and poetry. Polly has a hard time at the high school she attends in Cowpertown; she is not popular and is seen as awkward and socially irrelevant. This is brought out particularly in the contrast between Polly and her cousin Kate, who is staying with the O'Keefe's and attending high school in Cowpertown. Polly is beautiful, but her beauty is not appreciated by her classmates or siblings, who consider her lanky and strange. Polly begins to come into her own after developing a friendship with...