. ▁Th irty - five - year - old ▁Nick el ▁( N icole ), ▁a ▁bis ex ual ▁woman , ▁is ▁the ▁first - person ▁narr ator . ▁Her ▁adopt ive ▁mother , ▁J uts ▁( Jul ia ▁Ellen ), ▁and ▁a unt ▁Whe e ze ▁( Lou ise ) ▁Hun sen me ir ▁have ▁been ▁qu ib bling ▁and ▁making ▁up ▁since ▁they ▁were ▁small ▁girls ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁the ▁earliest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁story . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁contemporary ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁the ▁sister s ▁are ▁in ▁their ▁ 7 0 s ▁and ▁still ▁at ▁it . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁female , ▁each ▁with ▁her ▁own ▁over - the - top ▁prop ens ities : ▁Cel este ▁Ch alf onte ▁mur ders ▁the ▁local ▁weapons ▁ty co on ▁for ▁principle , ▁and ▁shares ▁her ▁lo ver ▁Ram elle ▁with ▁her ▁brother . ▁C ora , ▁Cel este ' s ▁servant ▁and ▁friend , ▁ill iter ate , ▁simple ▁and ▁hard working , ▁is ▁the ▁mother ▁of ▁the ▁b ick ering ▁Hun sen me ir ▁sister s . ▁F ann ie ▁J ump ▁Cre ight on ▁turns ▁her ▁arist ocr atic ▁home ▁into ▁a ▁spe ake asy ▁during ▁prohib ition , ▁to ▁surv ive ▁the ▁great ▁de pression . ▁Events ▁both ▁minor ▁and ▁historic ▁are ▁treated ▁with ▁light ▁humor , ▁with ▁only ▁the ▁occas ional ▁more ▁serious ▁tone . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁▁▁ ▁N icole ▁" N ick