Rachel

Rachel is the main character of the novel. At the start of the novel, Rachel has just fled captivity at Providence plantation. Although she has exacted her physical deliverance from slavery, Rachel does not feel the elation of liberation she expected to feel. In spite of her fatigue and despair, Rachel does not give up hope.

When she meets a woman named Mama B, Rachel reveals that she ran away from the plantation in order to find her five missing children: Micah, Thomas Augustus, Mary Grace, Cherry Jane, and Mercy. Mama B agrees to help Rachel. She leads her to Bridgetown, and secures her lodging while Rachel searches for her daughter Mary Grace. After finding Mary Grace at a local dress shop, Rachel accepts the proprietors’ offer to work and live with them. For a time, Rachel feels content. However, after she learns that her other four children...