Character list
Molly Bolt -
The sharp-witted lesbian protagonist. Molly is beautiful, athletic,
and highly intelligent, and she has a very strong will. She rarely backs down
from a dispute, is honest to the point of painfulness, and is driven to succeed
beyond society's expectations. Molly's determination often gets her into
trouble, but she always exudes self-esteem and remains unapologetic for being
who she is.
Carrie Bolt -
Molly's adoptive mother. Carrie is strong-willed and often stubborn
and bitter. Though she loves Molly, she seems resentful of her achievements and
tends to criticize her for being arrogant and unladylike. She was rebellious
when she was younger, just as Molly is.
Leroy Denman -
Molly's cousin. The tubby, slow-witted son of Ep and Jenna, Leroy is
Molly's main childhood playmate. As an adolescent, Leroy thins out and becomes
more of a redneck, spending most of his free time at the motorcycle shop. Though
he seems unsure of his sexuality in his teens, he marries and has children by
his twenties.
Carl Bolt -
Molly's adoptive father. Gentle and good-natured, Carl shows Molly
that men can be sensitive as well as strong. Unlike Carrie, Carl encourages
Molly to follow her ambitions and use her mental and physical advantages to
achieve success.
Holly -
A beautiful, black lesbian Molly meets in New York City. Holly comes
from a middle-class family, but in New York she lives a ritzy life by being a
“kept” woman. Though she seems to love her lifestyle of hobnobbing with the rich
and famous, she harbors insecurities about her lack of ambition and questionable
ethics.
Polina Bellantoni -
A middle-aged history professor who becomes one of Molly's lovers.
Polina is attractive, learned, and sophisticated, and she understands and fights
against the challenges women face in the working world. Her sexual fantasies of
being a man repulse Molly.
Faye Raider -
Molly's freshman-year roommate at the University of Florida. Because
she is wealthy and popular, Faye has a cavalier attitude toward life. She drinks
and carouses, leaving no time to study. She is also generous with her money.
After sleeping with Molly, she becomes more conscientious and works hard to stay
in school so they can be together.
Florence -
Carrie's loud-mouthed, opinionated sister. Florence often behaves
self-righteously and officiously toward her family, neighbors, and friends. In
emergency situations, she proves capable of taking charge and helping
effectively.
Carolyn Simpson -
One of Molly's two best friends in high school and captain of the
cheerleading team. Unlike Connie and Molly, Carolyn is prudish and innocent. She
doesn't swear and expresses surprise when Connie and Molly confess they've had
sex with their boyfriends. When she has sex with Molly, she becomes obsessed
with her.
Connie Pen -
One of Molly's two best friends in high school and editor of the
school newspaper. Though Connie is not as pretty as Carolyn and Molly, her
irreverent wit and intelligence make her popular. She is boy-crazy and
uncomfortable with Molly's sexuality.
Leota B. Bisland -
Molly's best girlfriend in sixth grade. Cat-eyed and quiet, Leota
provides Molly with her first homosexual experience. Though reluctant at first,
Leota becomes the more sexually adventurous of the two. As a woman, Leota
renounces her affinity for Molly and stubbornly believes she has no time for
thinking and no opportunity for improving her own life.
Ruby Drollinger -
Molly's biological mother. According to Carrie, Ruby was promiscuous.
Molly's voice is exactly like Ruby's.
Jean-Pierre Bullette -
Molly's biological, French father. According to Carrie, Jean-Pierre
was a handsome Olympic athlete who jilted Ruby when he found out she was
pregnant. Carrie suspects that Molly has inherited his looks, athleticism, and
yearning to be an artist.
Calvin -
A black homosexual streetwalker who befriends Molly in New York.
Young and handsome, Calvin peddles his body each night so he can find a place to
sleep. He is both courteous and helpful toward Molly when she arrives in
town.
Dean Marne -
The heiferlike, red-haired dean of girls at the University of
Florida. Dean Marne lives uncomfortably in a state of denial of her sexuality,
despite having a female lover Molly knows about.
Jenna Denman -
Leroy and Ted's mother and Ep's wife. Jenna is an angel among women.
Realizing Ep cannot afford a doctor for her, she keeps her cancer a secret until
the last week of her life. The entire town grieves her death.
Ep Denman -
Leroy and Ted's father and Jenna's husband. Though poor and unable to
give his family much, Ep works hard and loves his children and wife. He is
beside himself when his wife Jenna dies and depends on Carl to comfort
him.
Alice Bellantoni -
Polina's sixteen-year-old daughter and one of Molly's lovers. Alice
is beautiful and intelligent like Polina. She harbors incestuous feelings toward
Polina and demonstrates little self-control when she fights with
her.
Kim Wilson -
A famous, aging screen actress who “keeps” Holly. Rather than
regaling Molly with tales of Hollywood, Kim talks humbly about philosophy and
her poor upbringing in Chicago. She is surprisingly down-to-earth and
friendly.
Chryssa Hart -
An older, famous archaeologist who offers to finance Molly's life and
school plans in return for a sexual relationship. Slender and tan with very
short hair, Chryssa is direct, predatory, and arrogant about her profession.
Brockhurst (Broccoli) Detwiler -
Molly's elementary school friend. Broccoli is at first reluctant to
go along with Molly's plan to show his uncircumcised penis to the other kids at
school, but he soon grows to enjoy it.
Ralph -
An MIT student who takes Molly to New York City. A perfect gentleman,
Ralph talks with Molly the entire way to New York. He expresses no romantic
interest in her, only polite, human consideration.
Paul Digita -
Polina's extramarital lover. Paul teaches English at NYU,
specializing in the use of punctuation in poetry. His lectures are incredibly
boring, but his sexual fantasies while making love are undeniably strange. Just
before he thinks he's going to have sex with Molly, he imagines himself a woman
with large, luscious breasts.
Mr. Bellantoni -
Polina's husband. Old-looking and paunchy, Mr. Bellantoni lives the
life of an effete and vapid intellectual. He pompously lectures about his
lifelong study of cows in Western art, never taking his pipe out of his mouth.
Mr. Beers -
Molly's high school principal. Mr. Beers appears friendly and
supportive of Molly, especially after she catches him having an affair with Mrs.
Silver, an administrator at the high school.
Professor Walgren -
The head of the film department at NYU. Professor Walgren is almost
openly contemptuous of Molly, simply because she is a woman. He is patronizing
and unaccommodating.
Cheryl Spiegelglass -
A dainty and disliked playmate of Molly's. Cheryl's prissy, feminine
behavior endears her to Carrie and other adults.
Earl Stambach -
Molly's tattling nemesis in elementary school. Slow and stupid, Earl
gets by at school by telling on people, especially Molly.
