Astrid Magnussen Through out the book Astrid had to struggle through life on her own after her mother was sent to jail after murdering her boyfriend, Barry Kolker. She travels to a series of foster homes and slowly develops into a woman and becomes less dependent on her mother. Astrid stays in-touch with her mother by letters but Astrid slowly stops listening to her.
Ingrid Magnussen Astrids mother who had a very strong impact on Astrids life growing up, that is until she got convicted of killing Barry Kolker her ex boyfriend. Ingrid is a self-centered and very cold-hearted person. She who lives by her own set of rules and could very well care less about the well being of Astrid. Which leaves Astrid the fear of abandonment.
Barry Kolker The second man Astrid's mother let herself fall in love with. Barry claimed that he was "in love" with Ingrid but in the end he cheated on her with a younger women, which left her bitter. Therefore she cook down pieces of white oleander and spreads the sap all over his house. In result the sap soaks into his sick upon touching the sap, which leads to his death and Ingrid is charged with murder.
Klaus Anders Astrid's biological father who leaves before Astrid is old enough to remember him. In the end Astrid ends up going on a hunt to find him, soon discovers that he actually does love her despite what her mother says about him.
Foster Homes
Starr and Ray After Astrid's mother went to jail, her first foster home was with Starr and Ray. Starr, the foster mother, was a former stripper and recovering alcoholic and drug addict. Ray, who is also known as Uncle Ray, is Starr's boyfriend Sooner than later Astrid started to form feelings for Ray, and Ray also started forming feelings when Starr relapses. After Astrid and Ray have sexual relations, Starr gets overly jealous. and Starr and Ray get into a physical argument. As a result Starr ends up shooting Astrid in the hip out of spite, anger and jealously. By the end of this foster home Astrid learns how to experiment with love and the consequences that come with it.
Marvel and Ed Turlock, Olivia Johnstone Astrids next home was with Marvel and Ed Turlock in the turquoise house. In this home she becomes the "unpaid babysitter" for their two children. Asrtid also meets Olivia who is a beautiful very wealthy black woman. Olivia is hated by the Turlocks because of her chosen profession as a prostitute and race. Astrid soon becomes very attached to Olivia because she is the one who teaches her the fine way of living. Then on Astrids 15th birthday when Olivia wasn't around, she goes for late night walk and then gets attacked by a pack of wild dog which leaves scars all over. After this insedence Astrid got drunk at Olivias, which leads her to getting kicked out of the Turlock home. In the end Astrid learned how to present herself, be sophisticated and be poised all from Olivia.
Amelia Ramos The next home Astrid went to was Amelia Ramos. There is where she met Nidia Diaz, Kiki and Lina Torrez, and Silvana. The girls called the foster mother Amelia Cruella De Vil. During her stay the girls went hungry in the beautiful wooden house. When Amelia was home they would get normally fed, but during the long hard school week days they only got fed dinner. The foster mother kept a lock on the refrigerator and had the phone and TV in her room. After starving for many months Astrid takes it upon her self to gather money to call child services. When Amelia finds out she starves Astrid even more. What Astrid learned from this foster home was that she has to be grateful for what she has and not take it for granted.
Claire and Ron Richards Her new home is now with Claire and Ron Richards. This is where she really learns how to be loved by someone. Claire is the one who showed her the path to redemption. But sooner then later that all spiraled out of control. It all started when Claire found the letters from Astrids mother, Ingrid, which made Claire very curious and set a date to meet Ingrid. Ingrid could see right through Claire which is why she took it upon herself to put that little voice in her head, which told her Ron was cheating on her, to push her over the edge. As a result of this Claire committed suicide. In the end Astrid learns how it feels to really be loved and have it all be taken away.
Maclaren Children's Center, Paul Trout After so many foster homes Astrid had nowhere else to go which lead her to Maclaren Childerns Center, which is known as a final resort for kids without a placement. While being there she met a boy named Paul trout. They bond through a shared experience of being a foster kid and the love for art, shortly after they fall in love. After this foster home Astrid learns what having nothing to look forward to or even living for really feels like.
Rena Grushenka, Yvonne, Niki, Sergei The last foster home she stayed in was with Rena Grushenka and the girls. Astrid took it upon herself to pick this kind of foster home because she is traumatized from Claire's death and doesn't want to be apart of nuclear family. Also, while she was here she also formed a sexual relationship with Sergei. Despite the fact that he is twice her age and is Rena's boyfriend she still decides to go through with her sexual intentions with him. This is where she learns how to fend for herself and be independent, instead of relying on others like before.
Germany Two years later, Astrid is twenty years old where she runs away to Berlin, Germany to be with Paul Trout who she had met at Maclaren Children's Center. She spends her time making suitcases into individual art pieces reflecting the different foster homes she has been to over the years. Astrid always thinks about going back to California, but if she does she must abandon Paul. Therefore leaving him like she had been abandoned so many times before.