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Cory is Reverend Olamina’s wife, Lauren’s stepmother, and the biological mother of Lauren’s four younger brothers. At the beginning of the novel, Cory is characterized as a loving and attentive mother and a devoted wife. However, as the dangers escalate and their community is threatened, Cory and her husband’s differing values become more pronounced, and the stress of survival in an increasingly violent world threatens both her marriage and her relationship with Lauren. Despite both Lauren and Reverend Olamina immediately recognizing the historical implications of privatized towns such as Olivar, Cory is attracted to the town’s promise of consistent work and protection. While Reverend Olamina worries that their Black and Hispanic family would be unwanted or discriminated against in Olivar, Cory sees the corporate town as a possibility of assured security. Unlike Reverend Olamina, Cory values safety and longevity over freedom, and the two clash when it comes to their plans and hopes for the future. Both Cory and Reverend Olamina’s feelings are understandable. While Reverend Olamina's penetrating intelligence allows him to see Olivar’s tempting offer for what it truly is—corporate slavery—Cory is right to be concerned about the long-term security of their community in Robledo. While she may be naive when it comes to Olivar, her fears are justified, and she and her children ultimately pay the price for Reverend Olamina’s commitment to freedom.

Cory differs most greatly from both Lauren and Reverend Olamina when it comes to her priorities. Both Lauren and her father are visionaries and leaders who have a strong desire to find, build, and cultivate courageous, righteous, and independent communities where values of freedom, compassion, and commitment to education are upheld in the face of difficult circumstances. They are both willing to risk their lives, not only to lead their communities, but to live in service of a greater purpose. Cory, meanwhile, prioritizes the safety and security of her family above all. She is loyal only to her husband and children, and she values their lives more than she values abstractions such as freedom or destiny. While Cory’s love and devotion for her family is admirable, it can also lead her to be myopic and tribal. She loves her violent and apathetic son Keith more than her other children, and her valuation of his life over Lauren’s causes their previously healthy familial bond to crack. As Cory’s trauma and stress increase, she no longer has the emotional bandwidth to love Lauren. She gives all her energy to her biological children, and, as her circle of loyalty grows smaller and smaller, she even begins to cast Lauren in the role of the outsider.

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