I Can Make This Promise

Lisa Green is Edie’s mother. She is Indigenous, with ancestry from the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. Her husband, Don Green, is Edie’s father. Although he is present in the narrative, Edie’s relationship with her mother is much more important to the story. Lisa changes as the story progresses. She initially feels very uncomfortable discussing Indigenous cultures and history. She does not want her daughter to have to deal with difficult truths before she is ready, but she starts to open up when Edie confesses that she knows about Edith Graham. By the story’s end, Lisa is better able to celebrate her culture with her daughter.

Lisa’s mother, Edith, wanted very badly to raise her, but Lisa was put up for adoption on the day she was born because a social worker did not think Edith was fit to be a parent. When she was adopted by a white family, Lisa lost her connection to her family and her culture. It took her years to find her biological family and reconnect with her uncle, Theodore. When she learned the truth about her birth and adoption, she was devastated. Theodore died before Lisa’s daughter was born, so Lisa had to decide how to raise her child without any other living Indigenous family members. In Edith’s letters, she expresses how excited she is to be a parent, but she never had the opportunity to raise her child.

When Edie was born, Lisa decided to quit her job and become a full-time parent. Although she wanted to protect her daughter from her traumatic family history, she inadvertently ended up replicating her own childhood to some extent. She chose not to raise Edie with a strong understanding of Indigenous culture and history, which cut her off from her roots in a way that echoes the erasure of Lisa’s roots. She deliberately avoids answering questions about the past, even lying to Edie when asked, but she always intended to share the truth with her daughter when she sensed that she was ready to process it.

Amelia is one of Edie’s two best friends. They have been close for years, and their connection is very important to Edie, but it is clear from the book’s beginning that something is wrong between them. Amelia seems uninterested in Edie’s art, her ideas for the movie, and her opinions. She is frequently late when the three friends meet up, and she does not apologize for making the others wait for her. Rather than maintaining friendships based on mutual respect, Amelia has become selfish and withdrawn.

Amelia reveals that she has become friends with Libby, a bully who has been unkind to Edie for years. She does not seem bothered by Libby’s cruelty and becomes frustrated when Edie is unhappy about having to spend the day with her. The novel hints that Amelia may want to be friends with Libby not because she actually likes her but because Libby is more popular or has more power than Edie. When they visit the Gum Wall at the market, “Amelia pushes [Libby] playfully, [but] Libby gives her an actual shove. Almost like she wanted her to fall back against the Gum Wall” (131). Edie does not want to stop being friends with Amelia, but she feels as though she has no other choice. Amelia is shocked when Edie ousts her from the film group, but she does not protest, and the two do not reconnect.

Serenity is Edie’s other best friend. Unlike Amelia, Serenity genuinely cares about Edie. She admires her art and wants to work together to create the short film. Serenity’s relationship with Edie is never in jeopardy, as the two maintain mutual respect and love. As her name suggests, Serenity is calm and patient. She realizes that Amelia is pulling away from the group before Edie does, but she continues to spend time with her while she waits for Edie to come to her own conclusion. Serenity’s compassion for Edie is among her most prominent traits.

Serenity is the most emotionally mature of the three friends. She immediately encourages Edie to speak to her parents about the letters and photographs the girls find in the attic. Serenity has been through her own challenges: When her parents divorced, they kept their separation a secret from her for some time, as they did not want her to be hurt. Despite their efforts, Serenity still feared that her father would leave suddenly, as she could tell that something was wrong. Both situations demonstrate that parents sometimes keep information from their children in an effort to spare them pain, rather than due to a desire to be dishonest with them.

Phil Miller is Lisa’s adoptive brother and Edie’s uncle. He is a few years older than Lisa, and he is neither Indigenous nor adopted. Besides her parents, Phil is Edie’s only living family member, and he loves her very much. Uncle Phil provides guidance and love when Edie feels uncertain about her parents’ lies. He is patient and compassionate, and he has a silly sense of humor. He is always able to help Edie work through her problems. His unwavering support and love for his niece inform much of what he does in the novel. He is a static character whose stability consistently helps Edie feel supported, and he serves as another trusted adult to help with her problems. He praises her artwork with genuine enthusiasm.

The book provides minimal details about Phil’s life outside his relationship with Edie’s family. He is an activist who supports environmental restoration and Indigenous fishing rights. Phil is not married, and he has no children. He has friends who attend his birthday party.