Asher is Jonas' best friend. He is a cheerful, friendly boy who makes a game out of everything. Asher has always had trouble following the rules perfectly. He is often late for school and, as a result, has had to make numerous public apologies. The people in the community easily forgive Asher for his imperfections, because they like and enjoy him.
At the Ceremony of Twelve, Asher is assigned to be Assistant Director of Recreation. Because Jonas is selected to be the new Receiver of Memory, an honored position in the community, Asher is unsure how he should treat his friend and is hesitant to treat Jonas as he did during their years growing up together.
