Annie is the protagonist of the novel, and much of her identity is defined by the two different places she lives in the novel. When she is in California, she is a very different person than when she is in Mystic. In California, she is the wife of a very successful lawyer. Her job is to maintain that persona and to take care of everything at home so her husband does not need to. Her house is immaculate, her clothes are expensive, and her hairstyle is appropriate for her station in life. When this life falls apart, she goes to the rural setting of Mystic and realizes that she no longer fits in the role she had in California, so she changes much of her exterior presentation. She wears cheap clothes that are more appropriate for Mystic, and she gets a haircut that many believe is unattractive. When she leaves California for Mystic, she tries to figure out who she is, and she does this partially through experimentation with her exterior features.

Annie’s main personality trait, her self-giving nature, is also her biggest stumbling block. She spends her entire life in California taking care of Blake and Natalie to the detriment of her own growth.