One of the story’s main characters as well as one its two narrators, Olivia is a divorcée and single mother to her son, Asher. After years in an abusive marriage, she left her ex-husband, Braden, when Asher was six and Braden hit him for the first time. Olivia is an apiarist, a practice passed down in her family for generations. She lives in Adams, New Hampshire, on her family farm. Her older brother, Jordan McAfee, who eventually defends Asher in the murder trial, is a recurring character in the Picoult universe, having appeared in other works by the author.

Olivia’s marriage to Braden trapped her in a pattern of abuse. In her recollections of her marriage, she cowers in the face of Braden’s anger and bends to his will in fear. In these instances, Olivia doesn’t seem the kind of person capable of standing up to someone as charismatic and forceful as Braden. However, motherhood becomes a defining experience for her and lends her the strength and will to leave him. It becomes a central aspect of her identity, as much as the abuse she experienced in the past: Olivia grows to be a fiercely protective parent, willing to go to any lengths to keep her child safe.