Ivy

Ivy is the main character of the novel. She is born in China. When she is two, her parents leave the country and move to the United States, leaving her with her grandmother, Meifeng. Meifeng is a warm and wonderful caretaker, but when Ivy is five Meifeng takes her to the airport and puts her on a plane by herself. When Ivy arrives in Connecticut, she does not recognize her parents or her baby brother, Austin. She wants to cry for Meifeng, but her parents are so cold and distant that she does not dare. At home, her parents prove to be emotionally reserved and physically abusive with both their children and one another. When Ivy is seven, Meifeng arrives in Connecticut and they resume their close relationship. Bored with life in America, Meifeng teaches Ivy to steal from stores and garage sales.

When Ivy is 12, she starts...