June Jordan

Typically called June Bug by friends and family, June Jordan is the narrator of this novel. She is young, though her exact age is never revealed. She lives with her mother, Angela, in the family home. Her father, Marty, died of AIDS, apparently less than a year earlier. Her Uncle Toby was Marty's younger brother, and he is helping June and Angela as the novel begins, though he has no idea about the true situation June is facing. Angela, who has always suffered from mental illness, has become unstable since Marty's death. She is manic in her belief that she will contract AIDS and is fearful of germs. She refuses to spend time in the kitchen, meaning she does not cook meals for June. She sometimes talks June through a simple meal, but June is typically left to fend for herself at meal time. Toby brings some...