Velveteen “Velvet” Vargas

Velveteen “Velvet” Vargas is the main character and heroine of this novel. She is a girl whose mother came from the Dominican Republic and is trying to make a living in Brooklyn as a single mother of two children.

From the beginning, Velvet is at a disadvantage because her father abandoned her mother when she was pregnant with Velvet. Her mother's anger at Velvet’s father carries over to Velvet. Velvet’s mother tells Velvet at one point that she has bad blood because of what her father did. Velvet tries to argue that just because her father messed up does not mean that she will do so as well.

Velvet meets Ginger when she is an 11-year-old participant in the Fresh Air Program. Ginger gives Velvet the opportunity to learn to ride and discover her talents as a horsewoman. In exchange for her work, Velvet...