Lily is the main character, protagonist, and narrator of her story. She is a fourteen-year-old white teenager growing up in Sylvan, South Carolina. When Lily first appears, she is beaten down, abused, and misused by her brutal father. He runs a peach farm where Lily has always lived, and neither he nor Lily ever forget that at age four, Lily killed her mother while witnessing an argument between her parents. But within Lily are qualities she discovers only after she leaves home and goes on the run with her nanny, Rosaleen. Through her interactions with other people, Lily gains strength in her independence, understanding of prejudice, and loving connections in her life. Her sense of humor helps her survive, and she comes to an understanding of her yearning for her mother, her ability to forgive, and her growth that takes her far beyond her father's lack of humanity.
Lily has always been beaten down and abused by her father, but witnessing Rosaleen's courage gives Lily courage, too. Her father physically beats her and punishes her atrociously, and Lily has no choice but to take it. But after she witnesses Rosaleen's nerve in the face of beating and imprisonment, Lily finds her spark of independence and ingeniousness. She learns to lie convincingly and plans their escape to Tilburon. Defying her father and leaving home is something she'd never considered. She uses her intelligence — a brain that her father thought was a waste to educate — to create a false past, learn a new set of skills, and reflect on the people and events she sees around her. In the end, she even finds the courage to stand up to her father once and for all.
