Mallory Blessing is the novel’s protagonist, a role that is explicitly identified when the novel’s narrator calls her “our girl” (11). She is a “free spirit” who has rebelled from her traditional upbringing, especially from her strict mother’s concepts of femininity and respectability. Mallory’s closeness to her aunt Greta, who also rebelled against traditional expectations by becoming romantically involved with a woman after her husband’s death, reinforces the idea that Mallory is inclined to reject societal expectations. Her involvement with Jake, who is married to Ursula for much of the story, continues this characterization. Mallory’s initial reluctance to enter into an “official” relationship with Jake is portrayed as not wanting to be tied down to a long-distance romance (56), but as she falls deeper in love with Jake over the years, she doesn’t want to affect his relationship with Ursula, Bess, Cooper, or his family, and therefore doesn’t ask him for any commitment beyond their traditional weekend together. Hilderbrand portrays Mallory in this way to emphasize her senses of integrity, selflessness, and self-awareness. 

Outside of her relationship with Jake, Mallory is portrayed as caring, easy-going, and a devoted mother to her son Link.