Kirabo Nnamiiro

Kirabo is the heroine of the novel. She is 12 when the story begins and 19 when the story ends. Kirabo lives with her grandfather and grandmother because her mother abandoned her as a baby and her father works in the city. As a 12-year-old girl, Kirabo is spirited and rebellious. She hates doing chores, hates dressing like a girl, hates boys, and hates how the world wants her to act nice and pretty all the time.

Kirabo is from an exceptionally wealthy family. Her grandfather owns more land than almost anyone else in the village, and he is extremely kind and progressive. He makes education a priority for Kirabo and all the other children in his large extended family. He opens his home up to any child or teenager who needs a place to stay so they can attend school, but Kirabo is his favorite. She uses his...