Tokunbo “Bo” Marshall is an 11-year-old girl and the protagonist of the book. She is an only child, and her entire life it has been just her and her mother, Lola. The central conflict of the book stems from Bo’s experiences settling into her large, new, blended family when Lola marries Bill.

Bo is a mature and sensitive young girl. Although only 11, she has been babysitting her young neighbor, Dougie, for a while. Not only is she deemed responsible enough to do so but she is also very good at it. Dougie thoroughly enjoys his time with Bo because she is kind, caring, and thoughtful. Bo shows this same ability to think about other people’s feelings in the way she reacts to Lola and Bill. Although she has some apprehensions about Lola marrying Bill, she puts them aside because she wants her mother to be happy.

Bo’s tendency to suppress her reactions also works to her detriment sometimes, as she is closed off about her own feelings very often. Along with being mature and responsible, Bo is also extremely independent. Some of this independence stems from wariness; she is afraid of getting too close to anyone besides her mother.