The Seven Sisters

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, illness, and substance use.

Maia is the narrator and protagonist of the 2007 timeline. Maia is in her early thirties and is the eldest of six sisters. Maia was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she was adopted at an orphanage by her father, Pa Salt. Maia is naturally gifted with languages: She is fluent in French, Portuguese, and Russian and proficient in other languages as well. She works as a translator for publishing companies.

Maia is characterized by her physical beauty. She has thick, dark hair; bronze skin; and a curvy figure described in sensual terms. As the novel progresses, Maia’s relationship with her physical appearance changes, paralleling her internal character growth. In the opening chapters, Maia is “shy and reticent of strangers” (8), scarred by a bad breakup with her college boyfriend that resulted in her putting her son up for adoption just after he was born. Initially, Maia sees her beauty as a liability. She wears neutral tones and is motivated by a desire to deflect people’s attention. By the end of the novel, Maia has learned The Danger of Being Guided by Fear, embracing her beauty as she learns to live a full life motivated by love and desire.