Kathleen Cheng

Kathleen Cheng is the main character and first person narrator of the novel. When Holding Pattern begins, Kathleen has just moved back to her hometown in Oakland, California. Ever since her longtime boyfriend Oren broke up with her a month prior, Kathleen has felt more uncertain of her future and herself than she has in years. She initially hopes that returning home to live with her mother Marissa and help her prepare for her upcoming wedding to Brian, a wealthy, young entrepreneur, might distract her from her sorrow. However, she quickly discovers that spending time in the Laurel District neighborhood where she grew up and with her newly “sporty and self-possessed” mother is instead aggravating her distress (6). In order to dispel her internal unrest, Kathleen engages in a series of avoidance maneuvers. She ignores her indecision about her PhD program. She gets a job at a cuddle...