Paradise Characters

Connie is the leader of the Convent women. She has lived at the Convent since childhood, after the nun Mary Magna took her from the streets of Brazil and brought her to America. Connie remains… read analysis of Consolata (Connie) Sosa

Mavis is the first woman to come to the Convent. Her husband Frank abuses and degrades her, causing Mavis to become insecure and paranoid. She believes that her children have sided with Frank against… read analysis of Mavis Albright

Gigi is the second woman to come to the Convent. She is attractive and aware of it, and dresses in revealing clothing that scandalizes the townspeople of Ruby. Gigi has spent time as a… read analysis of Grace (Gigi)

Seneca is the third woman to come to the Convent. As a child, she was abandoned by her guardian Jean––a girl who Seneca believed to be her sister but who in fact was… read analysis of Seneca

Pat Best is a teacher in Ruby and a member of the Best family. Though the Bests were among the nine founding families of Ruby, the townspeople have shunned them since Roger Best married Delia… read analysis of Patricia (Pat) Best/Billie Delia’s Mother

Lone is the elderly midwife of Ruby. She was adopted by the DuPreses on the way to Ruby, and one of the DuPres women trained Lone as a midwife. She used to service the whole… read analysis of Lone DuPres

Deek Morgan is Steward’s twin brother and one of the leaders of Ruby. He and Steward share a deep, unspoken bond, and together they lead the founding fathers of Ruby when they decide to… read analysis of Deacon (Deek) Morgan/Connie’s Lover

Steward Morgan is Deek’s twin brother and one of the leaders of Ruby. He is the more outspoken of the brothers, known for “inflammatory speech” in contrast to his subtler brother. The twins work… read analysis of Steward Morgan

Misner is a young reverend who comes to preach in Ruby. A committed civil rights activist, he is eager to help Ruby’s young people engage with the activist movements arising outside of Ruby, which they… read analysis of Reverend Richard Misner

Mary Magna, who Connie calls “Mother,” is a nun who takes a young Connie off the streets of Brazil and raises her as her own. Though the book describes Mary Magna’s adoption of Connie as… read analysis of Mother/Mary Magna

Coffee Smith, nicknamed “Kentucky Derby” (K.D.) for winning a horse race, is the nephew of Steward and Deek and the son of Ruby Morgan. He is the last surviving Morgan heir, which places pressure… read analysis of Coffee (K.D.) Smith

Billie Delia Cato is the rebellious daughter of Pat Best and the friend of Arnette Fleetwood. As a toddler, she took off her underwear in public; ever since, she has had a reputation as wild… read analysis of Billie Delia Cato

Soane Morgan is Deek Morgan’s wife and Dovey Morgan’s sister. She presents herself as a dutiful wife, but internally, she does not have faith in her husband’s version of Ruby: she regards the… read analysis of Soane Morgan

Soane Morgan is Steward Morgan’s wife and Soane Morgan’s sister. Despite Steward’s success as a town leader, she only thinks of her husband in terms of his losses, the greatest of which is… read analysis of Dovey Morgan

Sweetie Fleetwood is the wife of Jeff Fleetwood and the mother of their four ill and disabled children. Her entire life is devoted to caring for her children, which severely damages her mental health. One… read analysis of Sweetie Fleetwood

Anna Flood is the owner of a general store in Ruby. She spent time living away from Ruby but returned to run her father’s store after his death. Her time outside the town grants her… read analysis of Anna Flood

Arnette Fleetwood is a member of the Fleetwood family, one of Ruby’s nine founding families. She starts the story pregnant with K.D.’s baby after he has ended their relationship. Arnette, who is due to… read analysis of Arnette Fleetwood

Roger Best is the father of Pat Best and the grandfather of Billie Delia Cato. Though he is a founding father of Ruby, he has no status in town because he married Delia, a light-skinned… read analysis of Roger Best

Jeff Fleetwood is the son of Arnold Fleetwood, the brother of Arnette Fleetwood, and one of the nine men who attack the Convent. He and his wife Sweetie have had several children… read analysis of Jefferson (Jeff) Fleetwood

Reverend Pulliam is a preacher in Ruby. He serves as the older, more conservative counterpart to Reverend Misner, and the two are frequently at odds. Their greatest conflict ensues at K.D. and Arnette’s… read analysis of Reverend Senior Pulliam

Menus Jury is the son of Harper Jury and one of the nine men who attack the Convent. He is a Vietnam War veteran who struggles with alcoholism. Some characters suspect that his depression… read analysis of Menus Jury

Wisdom Poole is the father of Apollo and Brood Poole and one of the nine men who attack the Convent. He blames the Convent women for his lack of control over his own family… read analysis of Wisdom Poole

Ruby Morgan, later Ruby Smith, is the sister of Steward and Deek Morgan and the mother of K.D. She dies in childbirth because segregated hospitals refuse to help her, and Deek and Steward’s regret that… read analysis of Ruby Morgan

Zechariah Morgan, also called Coffee and Big Papa, is the grandfather of Steward, Deek, and Ruby Morgan, and one of the founders of Haven. His experiences with colorism lead to his obsession… read analysis of Zechariah Morgan

Sal Albright is Mavis’s oldest child. When Sal is a young girl, Mavis is suspicious of her daughter, believing that she has allied with Frank against Mavis. When Mavis reunites with a grown-up Sal… read analysis of Sally (Sal) Albright

Jean is Seneca’s mother, though Seneca believes Jean to be her sister. Jean abandons Seneca as a little girl, leaving behind a note written in lipstick that Seneca keeps forever. Later in life, Jean… read analysis of Jean

Nathan DuPres is considered the oldest man in Ruby. He used to let the town’s children ride his horse, which led to a three-year-old Billie Delia taking off her underwear to mount the horse in… read analysis of Nathan DuPres