Thea Atwell

Thea Atwell is 15 years old at the start of the novel, and turns 16 during the course of events. She is from Emathla, Florida, where she was raised in a very isolated rural environment. She is an excellent horseback rider and has spent the majority of her childhood exploring her family's sprawling farmland on her pony, Sasi. The year before the events of the novel, Thea and her cousin Georgie explore a complicated romantic relationship that ends in a bloody physical fight. When the relationship is discovered, Thea is sent away to the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls.

Thea is a twin to her brother, Sam. Until Thea attends Yonahlossee, Sam is Thea's closest friendship. At Yonahlossee, Thea interacts with other girls her own age for the first time. She is able to explore and understand what it means to be a young woman in a way that...