Character Profiles

Josephine - Is the narrator of the story. She relates events as if the are happening now, and she speeks directly to the reader. She presenters herself as misunderstood and dissatisfied in the begining of the novel. Her 'many problems' have accumulated in her head over the years and involves her hatred of being illegitamate, he hatred of Nonna, her frustrations with living in a Sicilian culture that has 'ridiculous rules and restrictions', and 'being stuck at a school dominated by rich people'. She believes that no-one understands her and that in her family she has 'had it worst'. Josie has become a self-centred and melodramatic adolescent who her friend Lee calls a 'snob'; who Nonna says is 'with out respect'; who Christina calls 'selfish and unreasonable'; and who Jacob describes as having ' the biggest mouth in Sydney'. This is our heroine. She is far from perfect, but she admitds that herself, and the readers perceptions of Josie are influenced by the way she reveals herself to us. Josie's idea of problem solving in the beginning of the story is to run. She wishes to leave behind the things that upset her. however, as Jacob points out, when you run, your problems go with you, and running simply causes more problems. Her problems begin to come into perspective for her during the year, so that half way through the text she can say: 'things that worried me a few months ago no longer worry me as much.'

Anna - is a typical slavic looking girl. She's a very nervous person and is afraid of getting the answer wrong in class. She stands like stunned mullet if guys approach her. Despite her good looks, she still hasn't been kissed. The readers don't really learn much about Anna.

Sera - is the most brazen person Josephine has ever met. She can look someone in the eye and lie her heart out. Sera can bitch about a person for three hours straight and then crawl to them. She has black roots and blonde hair. She's skinny and tends to dress in what the latest rockstar is wearing. Sera has never been without a boyfriend for more than a week. Her father thinks she's a virgin but he's dead set wrong. Sometimes Josephine really doesn't like Sera, but other times she makes her laugh. Josephine envies her because she's the stereotype of a wog, but she doesn't give a damn, she just gives the finger.

Lee - her main objective in life is to hang out with the wax heads, who think it's cool to come to school hungover. Nobody is allowed to go to her place. Lee and Josephine have a weird relationship. They pretend to have nothing in common but can talk for hours on any topic. They pretend to come from two different parts of society.

Jacob Coote - is the gorgeous school captain of Cook High School. he is a cheerful and likeable character with a sense of humour. He is intolerant of the opinions of others and set in his ways. The world, according to Jacob, is devided along class lines. He knows where he stands, and he has a negative view of anyone not standing in the same place as himself. He refers to John Barton as a bore and a wanker; Josie as a middle class snob, and the movie she wants to see is a pansy movie. What you see is what you get with Jacob.

Katia (Nonna) - Young, independent Sicilian 'gypsy' in the 1930's, and becomes the over protective and conservative grandmother in the 1990's. When she makes the journy from Italy, as the 17 year old bride of the domineering and jealous francesco Alabrandi, she leaves behind her family, friends, and all the good things associated with youthful freedom. She's isolated in a strange land, has no one except the older francesco, who, as she later tells Josie, 'treated me like one of his farm animals'. She is obsessed by the past and takes every opportunity to relate old stories and to share photoes with Josie.

Christina (mum) - when she becomes pregnant at age 16, she is cut off completely by Francesco. The reader can only imagine what she went through emotionaly and financially, trying toi support herself and a baby. She developes into an independent woman who tries to give Josie all she can and has provided her with a stable and loving homelife. She has a very good relationship with her daughter, quite unlike her own relationship with Katia and Francesco while she was growing up. Josie wonders if it was the lack of love at home that made her seek love with Michael Andretti.

Michael Andretti - Left Sydney at 16 or 17, thinking Christina would abort their child. Seventeen years later, when he comes face to face with his daughter, he is shocked into silence, then confused and angry about the situation. he later tells osie that he had alot of problems back then, and even if he had known about the pregnancy he may not have come back to help Christina. He appears as the independentm, successful and self-assured barrister, but the novel is a journey for him from this date of independence towards an increasing awareness of Josie's needs and his new status as a father. At first he says to Christina he wants nothing to do with Josie but when Christina tells him to go and forget them both, he doesn't.

Poison Ivy - School captain Ivy Lloyd belongs to the wealthy upper class that Josie aspires to at the beginning of the novel. She and Josie have been in an academic competition all through high school, with Ivy usualy coming out on top. Josie calls her a bore who is obsessed with school work. Sister Louise thinks Ivy is the model student who was chosen as the school captain because of her pro-school attitude and sense of responsability. She can loose her cool and lower herself to Josie's level in an argument.