The protagonist of the book and one of its two first-person point-of-view narrators, Ella Longfield is a florist in her forties. Ella is a highly sympathetic character, with heightened levels of self-awareness and self-scrutiny. Married to Tony and mother of 17-year-old Luke, Ella has won many awards for her flower arrangements, specializing in an “informal, shabby-chic style, with homemade touches [setting] us apart” (92). Ella’s narrative voice suggests that she is self-deprecating, often running down her own achievements. For instance, though it is obvious she is very good at her work and a conscientious parent, Ella often worries if she is a good enough mother. Ella’s concerns about her appearance and motherhood illustrate the pressures women in her position experience in the real world.

Although Ella is a positive character, her biggest flaw is an overt concern with what others think of her. For example, in the first chapter, Ella tells the reader that the only reason she is reading a book on the train is because she wants to appear intellectual to her co-passengers. Her actual preference was to buy a fashion magazine. Another flaw could be her inaction, as seen when she does not alert anyone about the potential danger to Sarah and Anna.