Sarah Smarsh
Sarah is the narrator, recording her thoughts, now that she's an established adult, about her upbringing in Kansas. She recalls both positive and negative aspects of her childhood, focusing primarily upon economic success. She is concerned about the state of the "American dream." In her memory, Sarah loved growing up on a farm. She adored her grandma and benefitted from the matriarch's patient oversight; nevertheless their life was extremely challenging. Unfortunately Sarah's parents had a child very young, so Sarah was primarily raised by her grandma. With the daily dangers of agriculture, the members of her community necessarily congregated. They engaged in community deliberately, but most people still kept to themselves at group functions, like Sarah's dad who silently sipped his drink. As an adult living in a big city, Sarah notes how easily she could have forgotten about life back on the farm. Everything seems different from her perspective now, but she uses this revelation as evidence for the importance of welfare. Without it, her family would have lost everything over and over again, which is not to say they didn't lose ever. In wealthier circles, however, it is easy for people to forget why such a program is worthwhile, but Sarah dedicates herself to advocating for communities who still need the support because, from the outside, it's difficult to understand the unique problems of these people, nor the systemic and generational nature of poverty.
Sarah's Grandma
Sarah credits her grandma entirely for having raised her well. As the pillar of the family, her grandmother kept everything running smoothly and even kept the family together through tough times. This woman also was born into poverty, got pregnant young, and struggled to find a stable husband. After marrying countless times and moving over and over again, she finally secured the family farm in Kansas where she ruled like a wise, aged queen.
Sarah's Mom
Sarah's mom was barely a teenager when she got pregnant. After moving over 50 times in her childhood, she was unprepared to establish a stable home for her daughter, so she relied upon her mom to raise Sarah. Although she loves her daughter, she remains conscious of the life she could have had if she hadn't gotten pregnant so young.
Sarah's Dad
He is not a major figure in Sarah's life, but she adored him. In her childish naivete, Sarah couldn't understand her father much, but she enjoyed his company every time he was around. As an adult, she pieces together that he constantly drank. He also was just a teenager when she was born.
Sarah's Unborn Child
Without explaining herself, Sarah several times addresses her unborn child. The readers remain uncertain of whether this is a hypothetical baby or perhaps an earlier terminated pregnancy. At any rate, she explains to this child how much she has accomplished without it. She would not have been able to achieve so much in her career or maybe even to leave Kansas if she had gotten pregnant, like her mother and her grandmother before her. Since Sarah's birth was unplanned, she feels poignantly about the absence of her child, but she relishes the experiences she's been able to have without it.
