I was a girl who knew what I wanted.
-- Rachel (Chapter 1 paragraph 1)

Importance: From childhood, Rachel reveals she is determined to live the way she wants to live. She knows what she wants out of life, and will do whatever she must to get it. However, Rachel’s mother, social convention, and the Jewish community and their presence on Danish-held Saint Thomas, all conspire together to obstruct Rachel.

We were meant to be mice, to go unnoticed so that we would not bring hatred upon our people, who had been so ill-treated in every nation. But I was not a mouse. In the fields where I walked, I was much more interested in the actions of the hawks.
-- Rachel (Chapter 1 paragraph 11)

Importance: As a member of the Jewish community, Rachel knows she is in a difficult position. With the exception of few places like Saint Thomas, Jews are persecuted around the world. The Jewish community does its best...