Edie Middlestein (maiden name Herzen)

Edie is the novel's central character and protagonist. Five years old when the narration first introduces her, she is the only child of a Jewish couple. Her father was from Ukraine and had almost starved during his journey to Chicago. As a result, he ate a lot of food and guarded it like an animal, but he never gained weight. The United States was the birthplace of Edie's mother. She had not suffered the same hardships as Edie's father, and thus didn't feel as she had to eat as if it was her last meal. Still, the couple shared one common view of food. "Food was made of love" and they could never deny themselves or Edie anything that was made of love. And even though Edie's mother knows that she is too big for her age, she cannot deny her food. This attitude...