The novel’s 28-year-old protagonist, Sam, is devoted to her older sister and their ailing mother. A reserved young woman, Sam deliberately interacts very little with those outside her household. She’s hardworking and determined to contribute to the family’s finances as much as possible. She relies heavily, however, on her older sister, Elena, to be the responsible breadwinner who manages the household and shoulders the burden of their ailing mother’s care. At times, Sam feels guilty for the imbalance of the workload but feels that Elena is unbothered by this distribution. Sam’s defining characteristic is her focus on the future and her optimism that she can create a more meaningful life than she is currently living. She survives the dull, mundane routine of her job by daydreaming about her plan to sell their home and leave the island. These daydreams indicate that Sam is optimistic but also somewhat shortsighted about the true difficulties she’ll face in executing this plan.

Sam is highly nostalgic, as is evident in the frequent flashbacks that depict her childhood on the island with Elena and their mother. Even though the family faced some economic hardship then (though not as severe), Sam has an idyllic view of this time in her life.