Melissa
The protagonist of "Text for the day," Melissa makes an impulsive decision to leave school and travel the world. Although her book collection is her most prized possession, she leaves it behind and in a state of disarray. She's struggling to adapt to adult life and chooses to embrace chaos in her world travels. She wants to share the fictional worlds of her books with people around the world, hoping to figure out one of these fictional realities is real.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is the friend in "Jenny Robertson your friend is not coming." She disappoints her friend because she's not willing to engage with Jenny on the level she's hoping. She has to teach her friend the difficult lesson of boundaries and empathy.
Anne McGregor
Recently having lost her mother, Anne tries to make peace with her maternal memories. "Cold Iron" is the title of her story, reflecting her lack of intimacy with her mom during her lifetime. Anne feels overwhelmed by guilt at still feeling bitter toward her mom.
Alex
Alex is the narrator of "College." Her older sister died while attending Cambridge. Alex is disturbed and furious at the calm which her parents demonstrate during her sister's memorial. She is unwilling to quietly lay her sister to rest. After the ceremony, she sneaks away and hitchhikes her way to Brighton to the beach, seeking her own space to process grief in private.
