Ruthie
A young girl who, along with Lucille, her sister, gets shuffled around the family following the suicide of her mother. After a few years of living with their grandmother, the girls are forced to move around again when Sylvia, the grandma, dies in her old age.
Lucille
Whereas Ruthie is more open to Aunt Sylvie's crazy life, Lucille craves a conventional, normal life. Ruthie is more successful in chaos, whereas Lucille depends on a sense of order, but when Ruthie and Aunt Sylvie go on their adventure together, Lucille gets left behind, and her orderly life becomes lonely and stifled.
Sylvia
The grandmother who takes care of the girls until her death. Sylvia's death is the inciting incident of this novel.
Nona and Lily
These two aunts decide to send the girls to the other aunt, crazy Aunt Sylvie. They're tired of the work, and they're tired of the bitter Idaho winter.
Aunt Sylvie
This chaotic, vibrant person takes in her two orphaned nieces, Ruthie and Lucille. Ruthie fits right in with Aunt Sylvie, but Lucille and Sylvie don't see eye to eye. Sylvie is a free-spirit, which also means that she is fairly unorganized.
