Characters: Jane

The big sister. Jane Blackstripe was born with a mild hearing loss which gets progressively worse as she ages. Serious, studious, a little bossy. Jane likes everything just so. She is not perfect, but she tries very hard to attain perfection in everything that she does– she is the type of kid that adults love to be around, and they rave about how mature she is and how she has poise beyond her years. She doesn’t completely understand Iris, and the feeling is mutual. Iris is kind of an embarrassment to her, and sometimes she can treat Iris with disdain as a result of this. She is well-liked among her peers until her hearing gets so bad that she has to get hearing aids, which makes it more difficult for her to socialize the way that she used to. After her father’s death, she feels more than ever like she has to hold it together, because her mom is relying on her to help out around the house and keep an eye on Iris. In a reversal of fortune, Jane struggles heavily with finding her place in their new neighborhood. Most of her friends from Subdivision Glen turn against her, and she starts to understand a little bit more about what Iris has gone through in the past.