Kathy is the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. She remembers the events of her life and her relationships with her childhood friends Tommy and Ruth while searching for meaning and purpose in her past. Kathy is an unreliable narrator as every event, action, and conversation is viewed through her eyes. She is able to interpret and reflect on the past, but her point of view is essential. When she feels hurt or betrayed by Ruth, the narration focuses on Kathy’s pain and sadness. When Kathy hurts or betrays someone, her guilt and regret are central rather than the pain or sadness of someone else. Kathy is the carer for the narrative in the same way that she is the carer for her donors. She nurses a painful, difficult past toward an inevitable conclusion but cannot be present at all moments.

Kathy treat nostalgia as a powerful force. The memories of Hailsham loom large in her life because they represent a time of innocence. Her school years are a time when she did not have to think about donation or death on a regular basis and when her life was not complicated by sex or love.