Meet the Cast
Marguerite Ann Johnson (Maya/Ritie)
The BookwormMaya is a total dork. And boy do we love us some dorks.This girl is nearly the valedictorian of her grade school and she receives a full scholarship to college. She spends most of her S...
Annie Henderson (Momma)
Momma is one tough cookie—she has to be. Sure, soccer moms today have a lot on their plate with guitar practice, college applications, and Mandarin lessons, but imagine running a store during the...
Bailey Johnson Jr.
The DreamboatBailey Jr. is a total stud-to-be. He has curly black hair, smooth dark skin, and he's just all-around good lookin'. And boy does he know it. Because of his good looks, Bailey Jr. is ab...
Vivian Baxter Johnson
A Force of NatureVivian is a force of nature. We'd like to take credit for that metaphor, but Angelou beat us to it: "To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power"...
Bailey Johnson (Daddy Bailey)
Maya's father breezes into Stamps like a storm. He's tall, good-looking, drives a fancy car, and speaks the Queen's English. Everyone thinks he must be rich, and while he is in Stamps, he's the cen...
Mrs. Bertha Flowers
What I Want to Be When I Grow upMaya has a total girl-crush on Mrs. Flowers. This lady is beautiful, genteel, and poised. She dresses like she is going to have tea with the Queen, and she doesn't l...
Daddy Clidell
Remember all that stuff about Daddy Bailey? Okay, now take all of that, reverse it, and you have Daddy Clidell. Ta-da! Daddy Clidell is everything that Daddy Bailey is not—especially a father to...
Mr. Freeman
The ManMr. Freeman is Vivian's boyfriend and Maya's rapist. Before the rape, Mr. Freeman's defining characteristic seems to be that he, um, doesn't do anything. Seriously. He doesn't talk, he doesn...
William Johnson (Uncle Willie)
Willie is Maya's uncle. And we're not talking Baxter-style uncles, who are totally mean and can kick a guy to death. He is a disciplinarian, though. And he's not joking around. He makes sure Maya a...
Minor Characters
The Baxter Uncles (Uncle Tutti, Uncle Tom, Uncle Ira, and Uncle Billy)Maya's uncles are known for three things: their high status jobs, their respected family, and their extreme meanness. Sounds li...