The wife of Mr. Sokolow, at least twenty years his junior, Grace Sokolow is a jealous, narrow-minded woman who’s never told that Ishmael and Mr. Sokolow are good friends, and capable of communicating with each other. As a result, she comes to resent Ishmael, especially after he begins spending time with Rachel, her daughter. After Mr. Sokolow’s death, Mrs. Sokolow tries to reduce the amount of money left to Ishmael in Mr. Sokolow’s will. After she succeeds in doing so, Ishmael is forcibly moved to a carnival, setting in motion the events of the second half of the novel.