Allegedly

Momma is Mary’s mother. She named Mary after her own mother, Miryam, because it means “wished for child.” It is unclear if Mary is Momma’s biological child; Momma contradicts herself on this issue several times, and a former boss hints that she had looked “so, well, regular, after giving birth” (79). Momma suffers from severe mental illness. When Momma is “having a day” she becomes deluded and abusive and had been known to go to bed for days, leaving Mary to care for both of them. 

Momma, a narcissist in clinical terms, cares very much about how others perceive her and works hard to keep up appearances. She dresses well and spends a lot on herself, having finally married a rich man, though she spends almost nothing on Mary. An interview with one of Mary’s fellow inmates revealed that there was one month when Mary didn’t even have enough money to buy soap. Momma’s need for a man’s approval led her to prioritize the wants and needs of her boyfriend Ray over those of Mary. To keep Ray’s affections, Momma would do anything he asked of her, including beating Mary and giving her prescription medications for conditions she did not have. Ray had wanted to subdue Mary to make it easier to molest her, an accusation Momma had chosen to ignore. 

Throughout the novel, Momma and Mary are at odds over the events surrounding Alyssa’s death. Because Momma is unstable, Mary’s claims that Momma had fabricated the story of Alyssa’s death to save herself seem believable. In addition to being mentally ill, Momma is manipulative. She has trained her daughter well and will pay a price in the end, regardless of the nature of her involvement. 

Ted is Mary’s boyfriend. He also lives in a group home, and the two met working as volunteers at the hospital. Ted is one of the very few people in Mary’s life who is genuinely interested in being there for her. He is simple and straightforward, and despite doing questionable things to earn money, his intentions are genuine. He loves Mary and wants to be a father to his unborn son. Ted seems willing to do or sacrifice anything in his life to run away with Mary, showing he still doesn’t grasp the reach of the long arm of the law. He blindly prioritizes Mary—something no one else does. 

Mrs. Richardson is the mother of Alyssa, the baby who Mary allegedly murdered. Mrs. Richardson is also the mother Mary wishes was her own.

Bean is what Mary and Ted call their baby in utero before they learn that he is a boy. Bean is the impetus for Mary to improve herself, and most importantly, overturn her conviction. Mary wants to free herself through an appeal so she can be her baby’s mother. 

Ms. Cora is Mary’s attorney at the Absolution Project. She is bright, young, and of Indian descent. Mary is taken by both Ms. Cora’s intelligence and her steadfast belief that Mary is innocent. Mary’s acceptance of Ms. Cora’s representation, to say nothing of her generosity, highlights the depths to which Mary will nearly sink to overturn her conviction. Mary allows Ms. Cora to work on her behalf, all the while knowing that she is providing Ms. Cora with false information.

Ms. Claire is a supporter of Mary and one of two women who do not judge Mary. Mary meets Ms. Claire at the SAT practice test and immediately judges her based on how Momma would have judged her, saying she looks like she’s from the projects. This is one of several instances where Mary relies on Momma’s judgment and is shown immediately to be incorrect. Ms. Claire takes a strong interest in Mary, giving her sound advice and a free SAT course. She also shows concern for Mary’s well-being and generously gives Mary her scarf and later her coat because Mary does not dress properly for the cold winter. 

When Sarah, mainly referred to as New Girl, arrives at the group home, the others see her as mousey, meek, vulnerable, and ill-equipped for the harsh life of the group home setting. New Girl is intelligent and knowledgeable about her rights, speaking to the privilege of having had a good education. Ironically, it is all the opportunities her parents put before her and encouraged her to take—that “they wouldn’t leave her alone”—that drove New Girl to attempt to murder them. Her mother had been in a long-term coma from “a fall” down the stairs and finally dies, which is a turning point for New Girl. She befriends Kelly and adopts a new, psychotic persona that scares Mary, who now shares a room with her. When Mary attempts to run away, New Girl pushes Mary down the stairs, badly injuring her and nearly killing her baby. Ms. Stein is unable to cover up the event, and New Girl and Kelly are removed from the home. 

Kelly is one of the most troublesome girls in the home. She is violent and gets in fights frequently, a “real monster,” according to Mary, “with the bluest eyes and the blondest hair […] looks like a Barbie” (22). Kelly is rumored to have run down two of her fellow cheerleaders with her Range Rover because they’d missed practice. Kelly allies with New Girl and helps get Mary in position so New Girl can push her down the stairs. 

Ms. Stein is the apathetic foster mother in charge of the group home who shows disdain for her charges and her station in life. She is abrasive and speaks only in a harsh tone to the girls. Ms. Stein had previously been a social worker, but a key failure in her performance caused a child to die. Afterward, she was demoted to running a group home, and even in that job, she makes minimal effort. Supervisors watch Ms. Stein because she does not report several instances of aggression between the girls, particularly those aimed at Mary. 

Ms. Reba is Ms. Stein’s sister and assistant who lives in the home and helps runs it. While Ms. Reba can also be harsh, she shows some level of humanity, both in the love she has for her cat, as well as in her willingness to let Mary have a few minutes alone with Ted, something Ms. Stein would not have allowed

Winters is Mary’s parole officer and works in tandem with the social worker, Ms. Carmen. Mary believes Winters has it out for her from the start, but for some reason she likes him and forms a bond with him. He shares stories about his family and empathizes with Mary’s position as an expectant mother who wants to keep her baby. Winters drives Mary to her new group home in upstate New York. She trusts that Winters will do right by her, and on that drive, Mary decides Bean’s middle name will be Kain, Winters’ first name. Having no father, Winters is the adult male in Mary’s life who she respects and trusts. 

Ms. Carmen is Mary’s eighth social worker and counterpart to Winters. With a Latin accent and shrewd, tough exterior, she oversees Ms. Stein and Ms. Reba. She performs inspections of the home and finds Mary’s underwear to all have holes in them, pointing to Ms. Stein’s lack of care. Mary perceives Ms. Carmen as the enemy. She is a less-than-passionate state employee and “is one of the names on a long list of people who don’t really like [Mary]. […] I think it’s because she is super Catholic and I killed a baby or something. Allegedly” (29). Ms. Carmen is experienced and is skeptical of Mary’s motive to overturn her conviction.

Ms. Veronica is the psychologist assigned to the group home. The girls show her no respect, referring to her as the “perky little Staten Island trash” who couldn’t spot the craziness in New Girl or Kelly. For these and other reasons, the girls see Ms. Veronica as incompetent. The girls do not realize that Ms. Veronica is the most enthusiastic, well-intentioned person of anyone working on behalf of the state. The girls disregard or mock her earnest attempts to connect. At one of the final meetings, the girls persuade Ms. Veronica to open up about her own experience of loss, only to diminish it and belittle her. Ms. Veronica’s character, while somewhat naïve, illustrates why kindness and vulnerability are rare in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. It is the calloused, apathetic employees who survive, and they do so out of need. Ms. Veronica is married, well-off, and opts to do her job in hopes of making a difference. The girls resent her for having choices rather than embracing her desire to help them. It is a dynamic that has negative implications on the lives of young people and the effectiveness of the system.