Joey Dowdel

Joey is the narrator of the book. He lives in Chicago and travels to visit his Grandma every summer. He is nine when the book begins and grows to age fifteen the last summer that they visit. He has a dream of flying throughout the book.

Mary Alice Dowdel

Mary Alice is Joey’s younger sister. She is seven during the first trip and grows to age thirteen by their final trip. She is heavily influenced by her trips and seems to grow closer to Grandma each time. She also picks up some of Grandma’s sayings and habits over the years.

Grandma Dowdel

Grandma Dowdel is the most complicated character in the book. In the beginning, she seems larger than life and while she never actually changes, the kids see her in a different light every trip. She claims to not care about her town, but...