Sade Solaja is the story’s protagonist, and the story is told in the third-person limited perspective from her point of view. Thus, the reader knows only what Sade knows, and this helps propel the story’s narrative drama. The text opens with a pronunciation guide that explains that the name Sade is Yoruban and is a shortened version of Folosade; it sounds like “Shad-deh.” Sade’s is the only name that is discussed in this section. Some of the characters in the novel do not respect Sade’s African heritage, and they make fun of her for the spelling of her name. This novel is essentially Sade’s story.

The character trait most central to Sade’s personality is her desire to live up to her parents’ values and principles. This desire creates both internal and external conflict for her, and it is also her greatest impetus for growth as circumstances outside her control force her to make her own decisions about values and behaviors. She is forced to do this because she cannot rely on her parents to tell her how to act because her mother died, and she is separated from her father.