Madeline “Maddy” Whittier

Madeline “Maddy” Whittier is the main character and narrator of this novel. She is a girl believed to have Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, a condition that forces her to live in a germ-free environment with purified air. She is not allowed to go outside for any reason because she might come in contact with an allergen or trigger that would make her sick. Despite her illness, Madeline is intelligent and has a good sense of humor.

Because she has an incident of depression when she was eight years old because she wanted to go outside and play with the new next door neighbor but was unable to do so Madeline has tried to ignore the world outside her home. She lives through her books, enjoys her relationship with her mother and nurse, and stays busy with her school work.

Madeline is distracted by the world again when...