The name Kenna is Gaelic—it translates to “one born of fire.” Determined to earn a second chance, Kenna defines her character to a single error in judgment: When she was drunk, she did not realize that Scotty was still alive immediately after her drunk driving accident; she believed she had just killed the man she loved.

Her life since that catastrophic error has been her trial by fire. Five years in prison, separated from a child she has seen only briefly, alienated from her friends, despised by her town, Kenna returns knowing the odds are against her. As Ledger observes multiple times, there are no easy solutions. Kenna drove impaired—but Scotty was far more impaired. She drove too fast but not that fast. She could leave town and begin a new life, but she does not want a new life—she wants her own life. For too long in the novel, Kenna pretends to be someone safe, someone else, someone named “Nicole.” In the end, she is ready at last to be Kenna.

Thus, her character is defined initially by her lack of self-esteem. In her determination to reunite with her daughter, Kenna is not sure she is worth her daughter. The psychology of a second chance is complicated because Kenna cannot make the accident go away.