A Tangle of Knots

The kind, fretful, and people-pleasing Cady is the novel’s protagonist. The 11-year-old is “barely a wisp of a thing” with “shiny, crow-black hair that hung smooth as paper from the top of her head to the bottoms of her earlobes,” petite features, large eyes, and skin “the color of a leaf that has clung too long to its tree” (13). Her friend, Marigold, considers Cady “one of the biggest-hearted people Marigold had ever met—she tried harder than anybody else to make others happy” (204). One of the primary ways that the protagonist demonstrates her generosity of spirit and brings joy to others is by using her Talent to bake perfect cakes for others. Although the other characters admire Cady’s kindness, some of them realize that her efforts to please people come at a great personal cost. For example, Mrs. Asher sees that Cady consistently puts herself last and is weighted down with worries. The fretful girl believes it’s her fault that she hasn’t found a family by the start of the story, and she lives in fear of disappointing others, especially Toby. When Cady confides to Mrs. Asher, “I just want Toby to be happy with me” (65), the woman assures her that all parents want is their children’s happiness.