Who is Taylor Markham from Jellicoe Road and what is their importance?

Taylor Markham is the seventeen year-old protagonist of the novel, Jellicoe Road. Her mother abandoned her as a child, and she never knew her father. Taylor is described as being prone to depression and emotionally distressed. She is elected the leader of the Underground Community for the territory wars against the Cadets and the Townies, and she holds a position of leadership in her dormitory house.