Nora Stephens

Nora Stephens is the protagonist and the only narrator of the novel. As a book agent from New York, Nora is very ambitious and determined to make all of her clients successful. This means she has developed a reputation as a professional shark that editors both respect and fear, as she will only give them good books. This is what allows her to gain the trust of the author, Dusty Fielding, who writes the bestseller Once in a Lifetime. It is later revealed that Nora is a very good editor, but gave up a job being one in order to keep a steady income and provide for Libby after their mother passed away. Nora is fierce, determined, witty, and often sarcastic to everyone around her. However, she also buries a significant amount of grief and says she has not cried since her mother’s death.

Nora’s...