Ellen Foster characters

Appears from the start

An observant, self-reliant girl who recounts her life in a nonlinear movement between her troubled past and a safer present. Ellen is practical about survival and determined to find a decent home. Her judgments can be blunt, and part of her growth lies in recognizing the racial prejudice she has absorbed.

Appears from the start

Ellen's abusive, alcoholic father. He neglects the household, terrorizes his wife and daughter, and makes home unsafe. Ellen watches him closely and plans ways to protect herself because she expects no dependable care from him.

Appears from the start

Ellen's ill and exhausted mother, trapped in an abusive marriage and still grieving losses within her own family. Ellen loves her and tries to care for her, but the adults around them repeatedly fail to provide the help she needs.

First appears in chapter 2

Ellen's Black friend, whose family offers food, company, and refuge without demanding anything in return. Ellen values Starletta while initially carrying racist assumptions about closeness and cleanliness that she has learned from the white world around her.

First appears in chapter 4

Ellen's art teacher, a kind, unconventional woman who sees the danger in Ellen's home and gives her temporary shelter. Julia treats Ellen as a child worthy of protection rather than as a problem to be transferred elsewhere.

First appears in chapter 4

Julia's husband, who shares his wife's concern for Ellen and welcomes the girl into their home. His calm domestic partnership with Julia gives Ellen a glimpse of a household not governed by fear.

Also known as Mama's mama

First appears in chapter 7

Ellen's maternal grandmother, a wealthy, bitter woman who blames Ellen's father for her daughter's ruined life and directs part of that resentment at Ellen. When Ellen is placed with her, she provides shelter without tenderness and expects the child to labor in her fields.

First appears in chapter 8

A Black field worker on Ellen's grandmother's farm. Competent and perceptive, Mavis quietly helps Ellen manage the work and offers humane attention within an otherwise punishing placement.

First appears in chapter 11

Ellen's aunt, who takes her in after the placement with her grandmother ends. Nadine is preoccupied with appearances and with her daughter Dora, and she treats Ellen less as family than as an unwelcome comparison.

First appears in chapter 11

Nadine's indulged daughter and Ellen's cousin. Dora's comfort and dependence contrast with Ellen's resourcefulness, while the household's expectation that Ellen admire her deepens the tension between the girls.

Also known as New mama

First appears in chapter 13

The foster mother whose orderly, welcoming home Ellen deliberately seeks out. She cares for several children and provides the reliable meals, routines, and affection Ellen has wanted, allowing her to begin thinking beyond immediate survival.