Katherine (Katie) Natsuko Takeshima

At the beginning of the novel, Katie is a five-year-old girl who looks at the world through the eyes of one who believes nothing bad could ever befall her, as long as her big sister is at her side. She follows the older girl around like a puppy on a leash, absorbing everything the older girl does or says. She believes herself to be a bad child, constantly full of bad thoughts and displaying bad behaviors that draw the dark looks of her beloved mother. In reality, she is a normal child who is eager to please and just as eager to test her parental boundaries.

As the story progresses, we see Katie growing a little more independent, slowly forming her own opinions on the world. Her dependence on Lynn begins to fade when the older girl finds friendship outside the family. Katie is still...