Seedfolks Character Analysis

Kim

The novel’s first narrator—and the first gardener in what will eventually become a thriving community garden—Kim is a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl living in Cleveland. Kim is both the youngest child in her family and the… read analysis of Kim

Ana

Ana is an elderly white woman and one of the novel’s narrators; she came to Cleveland from Romania as a small child. She spent years working as a typist at the local police department, and… read analysis of Ana

Wendell

Wendell is an older white man and one of the novel’s narrators. He works as a janitor at a local school. Wendell is unhappy and cantankerous, as in the few years before the novel begins… read analysis of Wendell

Gonzalo

Gonzalo is a teenager from Guatemala and narrates one chapter of Seedfolks. He opens his chapter with his views on how the experience of immigrating to the U.S. changes depending on a person’s age… read analysis of Gonzalo

Tío Juan

Tío Juan is Gonzalo’s great-uncle. He immigrated to Cleveland from Guatemala to be with his family about two years before the novel begins. As Gonzalo explains, Tío Juan used to be the oldest and… read analysis of Tío Juan

Leona

Leona is a middle-aged Black woman and one of the novel’s narrators. She’s the person responsible for getting the garbage cleared from the vacant lot. Leona takes on this task in part because she wants… read analysis of Leona

Sam

Sam is an elderly white man and one of the novel’s narrators. He’s retired after spending more than 30 years promoting pacifism and international cooperation in the nonprofit sector. But even though he’s retired, Sam… read analysis of Sam

Virgil

One of the novel’s narrators, Virgil is a rising sixth grader and an immigrant from Haiti. Though he looks forward to spending his summer vacation sleeping in, Virgil’s father has other ideas—on the first day… read analysis of Virgil

Virgil’s Father

Virgil’s father is a Haitian man and a taxi driver. He used to drive a bus when the family lived in Haiti. A fan of get-rich-quick schemes, Virgil’s father latches onto the community garden… read analysis of Virgil’s Father

Sae Young

Sae Young is a middle-aged Korean woman and one of the novel’s narrators. She immigrated to Cleveland with her husband years before the novel begins and ran a dry cleaning business with him. Despite their… read analysis of Sae Young

Curtis

Curtis is a young Black man in his late 20s and one of the novel’s narrators. He’s muscular, handsome, and constantly attracts attention from women because of this. Curtis comes to the community garden to… read analysis of Curtis

Maricela

Maricela is a 16-year-old Mexican girl and one of the novel’s narrators. She’s pregnant and doesn’t want to be, but this is only one of the reasons Maricela feels alone, trapped, and hated. Being Mexican… read analysis of Maricela

Amir

Amir is a fabric merchant from India and narrates a chapter of Seedfolks. As he describes his idyllic childhood in Delhi, he suggests that major cities in India and the U.S. aren’t so different… read analysis of Amir

Florence

The final narrator of Seedfolks, Florence is an older Black woman and a “watcher”. Her arthritis makes it too painful for her to bend down and grow vegetables herself, but she nevertheless enjoys watching… read analysis of Florence

Nora

Nora is a British nurse and one of the novel’s narrators; she cares for Mr. Myles as his home health nurse. She believes firmly in the healing power of fresh air and nature, especially after… read analysis of Nora

Mr. Myles

Mr. Myles is Nora’s patient. An elderly Black man, Mr. Myles lost his ability to speak after his second stroke and now requires home health nurses, like Nora, to care for him. Nora explains… read analysis of Mr. Myles

Royce

Royce is a Black teenager who sleeps in the community garden; he’s homeless after his dad beat him and kicked him out. At first, the other gardeners are scared of Royce. He’s a hulking, muscular… read analysis of Royce

Miss Fleck

Miss Fleck is a third grade teacher who taught several of the novel’s narrators, including Virgil and Maricela. She’s a tall Black woman who inspires fear in everyone, students and fellow teachers alike. In… read analysis of Miss Fleck

Lateesha

Lateesha is Curtis’s ex-girlfriend whom he’s trying to win back. The two used to date, but Lateesha broke up with Curtis for basking in attention from other girls. Now, five years later, both Curtis… read analysis of Lateesha

Minor Characters

Granny

Leona thinks of her grandmother often—Granny was a firm believer in herbal remedies and outlived all her doctors who tried to tell her not to use them. Her memory inspires Leona to plant goldenrod in the community garden, as Granny drank goldenrod tea with nutmeg daily.

Penny

Penny is the woman who organizes the school program for pregnant teenagers that Maricela participates in. Maricela describes Penny as obnoxiously optimistic and exuberant.

Seedfolks

Paul Fleischman

Seedfolks Characters

Kim

Ana