Penelope is the main protagonist of the novel. When the novel begins, Penelope is a woman in her 60s, but as the novel progresses, Penelope is also portrayed during her younger years in the midst of World War II. The young version of Penelope is naive and innocent: a young bohemian woman who has been raised by an artist and his wife. Penelope’s early life is somewhat nomadic because of her parents’ love of travel. As a young woman, Penelope believes in love at first sight and in the general goodness inside of every person. She is kind, gentle, and idealistic, and her idealism leads her to join the Wrens and change her perceptions of life. Penelope eventually becomes disillusioned with her choice, realizing too late that she will not be allowed to facilitate change as a Wren because her role is severely restricted by her gender.

Despite her frustration, Penelope’s time in the Wrens is life-changing because this is when she meets Ambrose Keeling, the man who will become her husband and the father of her three children. Penelope has no experience with men and therefore assumes that the feelings she has for Ambrose are love.