Anna Kate Callow is the protagonist of the novel. At the beginning of the story, Anna Kate is a lonely young woman, disillusioned and scarred by her nomadic childhood. Not until she settled in school in Boston had she stayed in one place for more than a year. This teaches Anna Kate to isolate herself and spurn friendships to avoid the pain of parting. The only constant in Anna Kate’s life was her mother, Eden. Unfortunately, Eden was also scarred. She carried around the burden of grief that began with the death of her high school sweetheart, AJ Linden, and intensified when the Linden family, especially AJ’s mother, Seelie, accused Eden of causing the car accident that killed AJ. For this reason, all Anna Kate knew of the Linden family was her mother’s hatred and grief.

Anna Kate had a strong relationship with her grandmother, Zee, who taught her the legend of the blackbirds that live in the mulberry trees behind Zee’s café, the Blackbird Café. Anna Kate finds this relationship more affectionate than her relationship with her mother. It fostered the caring, compassionate side of her personality despite her desire to be isolated from potential hurt.