Tilly

Tilly is the novel's central character and protagonist. She appears as an elderly woman in Chapters 1 and 15 (the book's Prologue and Epilogue), only glimpsed in the former and spoken of in the latter. In the main body of the work, of which she is the narrator, she is a teenaged girl of fifteen, portrayed as unsophisticated but sensitive and compassionate, curious and well intentioned. She cares deeply for her family, particularly her younger sister Cass and her twin brother Noah. When the much more worldly Delphine comes into her life and the two young women become closer friends, Tilly becomes increasingly aware of herself as a human being, a transformation both symbolized and initiated by her first sight of herself in Delphine's hand mirror (see Chapter 6, and also "Objects/Places"). As a result of Delphine's presence and influence, Tilly discovers strength, courage, and compassion, as well as a...