Blue Sisters

Avery is the eldest of the Blue sisters. At the start of the novel, she is a successful lawyer who lives in a wealthy London neighborhood with her wife, Chiti. Avery and Chiti appear to have a close and loving relationship and are planning to start a family. From an outside perspective, Avery appears confident, successful, and responsible. She has studied at prestigious universities and works as a lawyer. Avery has achieved many of the material markers of prestige: She has “paid off all her college loans and owns furniture that cost almost as much as her tuition” (4). Avery took on the role of a parentified child from a very young age, and as a result, she finds it challenging to admit vulnerability or ask for help. Nonetheless, Avery can be very sensitive: She “would like to be all backbone, but she is tender flesh too” (4). Avery’s tendency to isolate herself and avoid vulnerability has negative impacts on her interpersonal relationships; it gradually drives her away from her wife and leads to tension in her relationships with her sisters. Because Avery strives to appear perfect and in control at all times, others find it challenging to relate to her or understand how to help her.