Brianna
Brianna is the protagonist of "Every Little Thing." She suffers from a rare brain condition called Hyperthymesia which basically means she has vivid intrusive memories, almost like hallucinations. When she was 16, she got pregnant with her boyfriend at the time and gave birth to her daughter Caitlin. Brianna loves Caitlin more than anything. Since she didn't even have the chance to finish high school herself, she's continually impressed by how well Caitlin performs in school and believes she'll end up being somebody special. At her job at a hotel, she has become her employer's MVP. She's trusted with a lot, but she has to work there because she's not qualified for many other jobs. She struggles daily with a sense of guilt over her mistakes as a teenager and her regret over not making more of her opportunities.
Caitlin
Caitlin is Brianna's daughter. She's also 16-years-old, the age her mom was when she got pregnant. In school she excels at math and English, making straight A's. She's been flirting with this boy named John DiAndretti, but he ends up ignoring her. Although she's not as impulsive as her mother was at her age, Caitlin seems to resent her mom's high expectations. She's embarrassed to be seen with her mom in public, or at least she was when she was younger. Actually she gives her mom a really hard time over Brianna's lack of education.
Lolita
She's the girl Brianna meets in the hotel who is having an affair with the married man. Not quite 18, she insists that she knows what she's doing. Brianna describes her as unrealistically thin, blonde, petite, with a girlish figure. While at the hotel, she spends most of her time lounging beside the pool, waiting on her lover to return. She drinks diet coke, afraid to ask the bartender for a drink since she's underage. She's told her mother that she's on a band trip to D.C. this week. Most likely Lolita is not her real name.
Mackenzie Altman
Mackenzie is the narrator and protagonist of "How To Be Chinese." As she prepares to go off to college, she realizes that she wants to know more about her native culture. Her single mom adopted her as a baby from China, and she's grown up in small town Michigan. In school she joins a Chinese club but soon becomes embarrassed because she feels like an imposter. She's resolute in her commitment to learn her culture, however, and keeps trying despite many uncomfortable situations and minor discouragements. Above all, she leans into her mom's loving support.
Winston Liu
Recently immigrated from Hong Kong, Winston attend Mackenzie's college. They actually run into each other by chance at a McDonald's and begin dating. He's a curious boy who cares about making Mackenzie feel accepted. He seems to have his own insecurities due to his family's apparent wealth.
Mrs. Liu
She meets Mackenzie for lunch one day with Winston. A fairly traditional woman, she strongly urges Mackenzie to learn about her culture. She keeps slipping into Chinese, forgetting that Mackenzie doesn't understand. After the lunch, she offers to have the girl over to see her collection of Chinese paintings. She's some sort of interior decorator who specializes in Feng Shui, although she doesn't have to work due to her husband's enormous wealth.
