The Girls of Slender Means Character Analysis

Nicholas Farringdon

In the novel’s 1945 timeline, Nicholas Farringdon is an anarchist poet who works in Intelligence and has an office in the converted hotel next door to the May of Teck Club. He enters the girls’… read analysis of Nicholas Farringdon

Jane Wright

Jane is a May of Teck Club girl who works for a dodgy publishing agency in the novel’s 1945 timeline. Her boss, George, tasks her with digging up dirt on potential writers and investigating… read analysis of Jane Wright

Joanna Childe

Joanna Childe is one of the May of Teck girls. A clergyman’s daughter, Joanna is profoundly devout and disciplined. Having sworn off romance following a failed love affair, Joanna moves to the… read analysis of Joanna Childe

Selina Redwood

Selina Redwood is one of the May of Teck girls. As gorgeous as she is slender, Selina is the only girl able to slip effortlessly through the narrow lavatory window leading to the club’s flat… read analysis of Selina Redwood

Dorothy Markham

Dorothy Markham is one of the May of Teck girls. She is the working-class niece of Lady Julia Markham, who serves as chairwoman on the May of Teck Club’s management committee. Dorothy is a… read analysis of Dorothy Markham

Lady Julia Markham

Lady Julia Markham is the aunt of May of Teck girl Dorothy Markham. Julia serves as chairwoman of the May of Teck Club’s management committee. She appears early in the book in the form… read analysis of Lady Julia Markham

Judy Redwood

Judy Redwood is one of the May of Teck girls. She works as a typist at the Ministry of Labour. She’s engaged to a solicitor named Geoffrey, who happens to be the brother of fellow… read analysis of Judy Redwood

Anne Baberton

Anne Baberton is one of the May of Teck girls. She and Selina are among the May of Teck girls slim enough to fit through the slit window in the lavatory. Anne owns the Schiaparelli… read analysis of Anne Baberton

Greggie

Greggie is one of the May of Teck Club’s three “spinsters,” the older, unmarried women who still live at the club despite its age cutoff of 30 years old. Greggie has an antagonistic but friendly… read analysis of Greggie

Tilly

Tilly is George’s wife. She’s an intelligent woman who appreciates hearing about the publishing firm through Jane, since George tends to keep Tilly out of his work. Though Tilly’s overenthusiasm can annoy Jane… read analysis of Tilly

George

George is Jane’s boss. He is married to Tilly but doesn’t like to discuss business matters with her, propelling Tilly to flock to Jane for information. George runs a dodgy publishing house—fittingly, he’s known… read analysis of George

Rudi Bittesch

Rudi Bittesch is a Romanian man who strikes up an acquaintance with Jane and pays her to write phony, sentimental letters aimed at eliciting a response—and a valuable signature—from famous writers. He then sells the… read analysis of Rudi Bittesch

Nancy Riddle

Nancy Riddle is one of the May of Teck Club girls. She is from the Midlands and takes lessons with Joanna to get rid of her Midlands accent. Nancy, like Joanna, is the daughter of… read analysis of Nancy Riddle

Colonel Felix Dobell

Colonel Felix Dobell is an American Intelligence officer who has an office next door to the May of Teck Club. Felix is an associate of Nicholas’s, though they don’t have much in common. He… read analysis of Colonel Felix Dobell

Gareth Dobell

Gareth Dobell is the wife of Colonel Felix Dobell, an American Intelligence officer who has an office in the hotel next door to the May of Teck Club. Unbeknownst to Gareth, her husband is… read analysis of Gareth Dobell

Pauline Fox

Pauline Fox is one of the May of Teck girls. She has regular “lunatic evenings,” which involve her putting on a fancy gown and going out on dates with the actor Jack Buchanan. In fact… read analysis of Pauline Fox

Minor Characters

Collie

Collie is one of the May of Teck Club’s three “spinsters,” the older women who still live at the club despite its age cutoff of 30 years old. She has an antagonistic but friendly relationship with the others spinsters, Greggie and Jarvie.

Jarvie

Jarvie is one of the May of Teck Club’s three “spinsters,” the older, unmarried women who still live at the club despite its age cutoff of 30 years old. Jarvie has an antagonistic but friendly relationship with the other spinsters, Greggie and Collie.

Joanna’s Father

Joanna’s father is a clergyman. He arrives in London following Joanna’s death and meets with Nicholas, who leads him to the site of the fire and lauds Joanna’s character and religious devotion.

The Warden

The Warden of the May of Teck Club appears sporadically throughout the novel to deliver announcements to the girls about safety and other logistical concerns.

The Girls of Slender Means Characters