Sarah, though she is known by many names, is the clear protagonist in the novel. Born as an unwanted, illegitimate child, she is forced into child prostitution, where she is taught that the only thing she has to offer is her body. Though she escapes the clutches of her abuser, Sarah finds herself trapped in the lifestyle when she gains employment at a brothel. Her life changes when she meets Michael Hosea, a Christian farmer compelled by God to marry her. He rescues her from the brothel and tries to convince her to put her old life behind her. But Sarah’s self-loathing drives her to run away time and time again because she believes she’s not worthy of Michael’s love.

To Sarah, “falling in love meant you lost control of your emotions and your will and your life” (186). She carries emotional scars from her childhood, as she witnessed how precarious her mother’s life became because she loved a married man. Sarah decides early on not to be like her mother and hardens her heart against love. She clings to this belief even as she develops feelings for Michael, her savior husband.