Fred, the 10-year-old narrator of the book, is primarily characterized by her love of learning. Hill doesn't reveal her gender until the second chapter, allowing the reader to view Fred without previous misconceptions about young girls. In fact, Fred's characterization never relies on her appearance: it is not until the aftermath of the Christmas play in Chapter 13 that she even reflects on it. Then, it is primarily to draw similarities between her appearance and her family members', rather than to situate her in traditional descriptions of female beauty. This is appropriate, given that Fred's ambitions are primarily intellectual. She does not want to get married or have children, but instead wants to see the world and develop her talents as a writer.

Fred's family life and backstory firmly situate her within the culture of her village. She knows fables from her culture, listens to her grandfather tell stories about the old days, and watches her mother make traditional (if modified) clothing items to sell. At the same time, she has a deep hunger to learn more about life outside of her village, as her interest in Miss Agnes's map (and, indeed, Miss Agnes herself) show. Her curiosity makes her the perfect student for Miss Agnes: one willing to participate in larger cultural conversations without sacrificing her own background and identity.