Eleanor’s mother. A beautiful and kind woman whose abusive relationship with her second husband Richie completely dominates her life. Sabrina organizes her days around staying out of Richie’s way and trying to keep him off the war path—nevertheless, she still winds up suffering verbal, physical, and sexual abuse at his hands at least weekly. Sabrina is portrayed as someone who used to be strong but who has been worn down over the course of years of abuse—she frequently chooses keeping Richie happy over her own children’s well-being, and Eleanor, the only one of her siblings who has ever truly stood up to Richie, is often the victim of Sabrina’s indifference or betrayal. When the novel begins, Eleanor has just returned home after a year of living with Sabrina’s friends after Richie kicked her out, and there is an uneasiness between Eleanor and Sabrina as Eleanor begins to realize that her mother will never choose her over Richie again. Sabrina seems to want to turn things around and provide for her children—but Richie’s strict control over her behavior, her finances, and indeed her body prohibit her from breaking free.