Content Warning: This section of the guide includes references to chronic illness, child abandonment, and sexual harassment.

Ally Morales is one of the protagonists and first-person narrators of the novel. The chapters titled with her first name trace episodes from her storyline and are written from her first-person point of view. In the narrative present, Ally is 39 years old, living in New Jersey, and working in New York City. Moving back to the East Coast compels Ally into a complex journey toward personal growth and self-actualization. Although almost 40, Ally feels unmoored and alone. She left her life and job in Colorado to care for her father, who has dementia. To make ends meet and pay for her dad’s medical care after her absent mother stole her father’s savings and a scam artist stole Ally’s savings, Ally forsakes her dreams to work five different jobs. Ally is strong and self-possessed but often feels emotionally weighed by life’s pressures and her seemingly impossible financial circumstances. Her character arc is about admitting her need for help and letting others support her so she can enjoy life again.

Ally is a dynamic character who changes as the result of her experiences and relationships.