As the protagonist and first-person narrator, Mira is a complex and dynamic character whose identity is fractured by trauma. The novel is presented as her memoir, written as an adult with a long, successful writing career, a conscious act of reclaiming a narrative that was shaped by others. When she is a young golf prodigy, Mira’s talent is both her source of identity and a catalyst for conflict. In the male-dominated world of the country club, her skill is a threat to men like Harry Fallows, while her youth and perceived special status make her a target for Theo Catton. One of her defining traits is impulsiveness, which manifests as competitive fire on the golf course and a reckless disregard for consequences off it, as seen when she smashes Frank Pendleton’s car window with a golf club. This impulsivity is later reinterpreted through the lens of trauma, suggesting her actions are often desperate reactions to feeling powerless, as smashing Frank’s window was a reaction to his attempted rape of her.

Following Kenny Foster’s death, Mira’s psyche retreats into what her family calls “Mira Land,” a state of magical thinking where she conflates unrelated events, incorrectly believing Kenny’s death is a karmic punishment for her sexual relationship with Theo, an older man who has groomed and abused her for three years as the novel begins.