Harriet Kilpatrick

Harriet is the narrator and protagonist of the novel. She grows up in Indianapolis with an emotionally removed family. Her parents provide everything she needs, but they are not very happy with themselves. They married young because they got pregnant with Harriet’s older sister, Eloise, and they both had to give up their dreams in order to get jobs as a teacher and a dental assistant. They were constantly fighting with Eloise, who was very rebellious, so Harriet took on the role of peacekeeper. She felt that the only way to keep her family together was to be perfect and impress them. She leans so far into this idea that she decides to go off to college to become a brain surgeon because she cannot think of anything more impressive, and she really wants to earn their love.

When Harriet gets to Mattingly College, she is...