Xuela Claudette Richardson
Xuela, the protagonist, is a young girl when first introduced. This book revolves around her youth and adolescence into adulthood as she tries to find her place in a world that doesn't seem to want her. Having never received love as a child, she is not good at loving other people. To Xuela, people are tools for her to use to get what she wants, making her romantic life a living nightmare for everybody involved. She's desperate to find a reason for somebody to love her, but she's never been given one in her eyes.
Xuela's Father
He is a distant man. For whatever private reasons, he chooses to pawn Xuela off on other people to raise. Perhaps he blames Xuela for his wife's death, or perhaps he's just a negligent father who should never have been allowed to have a child in the first place. He skillfully neglects his daughter at every opportunity, teaching her to fend for herself and distrust everybody.
The Laundress
She essentially raises Xuela. When her mom dies, Xuela is sent to live with this woman. The laundress is no more of a loving mother to her than Xuela's dad was a loving father to her.
Xuela's Mother
Xuela's mom killed herself after her daughter's birth. Xuela grows up without knowing anything about her mom except for one distant memory which she romanticizes. As she grows up, Xuela paints an imaginary picture of the woman she hopes her mother was.
Jack LaBette
Jack is Xuela's first lover. She goes to live with him amid a passionate, rocky love affair. While she's still a student, she strikes up this romance with Jack. He is not an ethical person, nor even remotely prepared to deal with Xuela's abusiveness.
Roland
He works as a stevedore at the dockyard. Xuela never really loves him, but she convinces him that she does. To Xuela, Roland is a means to an end. He buys her pretty things and steals exotic fabrics for her while unloading ships. Eventually, he too wears out his usefulness.
Phillip Bailey
He becomes Xuela's husband. After a string of one-sided romantic relationships, Xuela chooses to try with Phillip. He is a doctor from England, educated and intelligent. His brains are a match for Xuela's conniving willpower.
