Guadalupe Magdalena "Magda" Molina Vásquez

Magda is a Mexican woman and the first person narrator. She is born into an impoverished family in Teatlán, and the stories she inherits from her mother and aunt. She is a deceptively simple character who defies easy categorization. She is independent and determined to break conventions; however, she is also deeply tied to tradition and respectful of the history. She is the biological mother of Martina and the adopted mother of Isabel.

Martina

Martina is Magda's biological daughter who is primarily raised in the United States. She "walks with her head held proud and an argument in her throat. She argues with the ways of the world" (8). Magda has tried to impart the strength and knowledge she has gained from her experiences to Martina; however, because growing up in affluence in the United States has been comparatively so easy for Martina...