Nonnie “Non” Anderson

Nonnie Anderson is one of the main characters in the novel. When she was child, a boy tried to take her clothes off but Tracy Deen, a white boy, chased that boy off. Since that time Nonnie has decided Tracy was the man for her. Nonnie is one of the few African American women in the South who has a college education. Following her time in college, she returned home to care for Boysie Brown, a handicapped child. She has continued an affair with Tracy, and the relationship is kept hidden. At the time the novel begins, Nonnie tells Tracy she is pregnant with his baby. To Nonnie’s despair, Tracy tells her that he is going to follow his mother’s wishes, join the church, and marry Dorothy Pusey. Nonnie insists on keeping her baby. Tracy arranges for her to marry his friend Henry, an...