Who is Nina Carmichael from The Keepers of the House and what is their importance? The_Keepers_of_the_House English & Literature Nina Carmichael | The Keepers of the House

Nina Carmichael was the middle child of William Howland and Margaret Carmichael Howland. Her older brother was named Robert, and her younger sister was named Christine. Like her siblings, Nina was a mulatto child. She had her mother's African American blood flowing through her body, but she most resembled her father. All three children were fair skinned with red hair. Nina was closest in age to her father's granddaughter, Abigail. The two were emotionally close and were childhood playmates. Eventually, Nina was sent away to a Vermont boarding school in an attempt to introduce her to white society. Nina's mother hoped that she would ascend to life in the north and leave behind the prejudices of life in the south. The two corresponded intermittently until Nina's marriage. Nina choose to marry a black man, and although they seemed happy, Margaret was not pleased. Margaret felt that she had sacrificed a normal relationship with her daughter to ensure her future. Nina's choice to marry within her mother's race, despite her fair appearance, seemed to be an affront to Margaret's long held intentions.