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Butterfly

All she wanted was to be someone's little girl....

Fate made her a lonely orphan, yearning for the embrace of a real family and a loving home. But a golden chance at a new life may not be enough to escape the dark secrets of her past....

Crystal

All she wanted was a family she could call her own...

As an orphan girl, Crystal was one of many - and utterly alone. But she still dreamed of a shining life of love and happiness, and freedom from the dark legacy of her past...

Bright and fearless, Crystal will discover that new parents can mean new worries...

When the Morrises choose Crystal from all the girls and boys in the orphanage, she is full of optimism - at last she has a home to call her own. Karl Morris, her new dad, likes math as much as she likes science, and he's already proud of her being a good student. Thelma, her new mom, makes her feel truly wanted for the first time. And though Thelma seems more interested in her television soap operas than in real life, Crystal feels in her heart that their tidy little house will become a real home.

Crystal is especially pleased when the Morrises approve of her first boyfriend. But she will soon discover that in her new home, sadness is banished to the back of a closet... and that means no one is prepared when a shocking tragedy comes rattling at the door.

Brooke

All she wanted was a mother's warm embrace....

Brooke was an orphan, abandoned long ago by a mother she barely knew. And though her new family seemed to offer the promise of a new beginning, a dark voice in her heart told her that she was now more alone than ever...

Raven

All she wanted was an end to broken promises....

Her Mama made it painfully clear that she wished Raven had never been born. But even after she was sent to live with her kindly aunt and domineering uncle, humiliating secrets lurked -- and threatened to dash forever Raven's dream of a true home....

Runaways

"All for one and one for all" was the girls' motto. In the grim foster home for orphans run by Louise and Gordon Tooey, at least Brooke, Crystal, Raven, and Butterfly had each other. Calling themselves "sisters," together they could forget the past and dream of a new chance...a real home. Then they discovered a secret even more haunting than Gordon's heavy boots pounding on the wooden floors. Their fragile hopes of a better life shattered, they escaped the only way they could. Soon they were runaways in a borrowed car, desperately wishing to wake up one morning in a place of sunshine and love.

Raven hoped to be a singer, Butterfly wanted to be a dancer, Crystal planned for college, and Brooke privately hoped to find her mother in California. On the open road the chains of sadness that had bound them seemed to melt away, and the kindness of strangers made a secure future seem almost real. But the highway was a dangerous place, and soon they were penniless and more vulnerable than ever. Alone under the wide western sky, they had only each other to ask if they should give up their dreams...or if they were really halfway to a haven of safety and happiness....

Orphan Characters

Butterfly

Janet Taylor aka "Butterfly"
Adoptive Daughter of Celine and Sanford

Celine Westfall Delorice
Adoptive Mother of Janet
Wife to Sanford

Sanford Delorice
Adoptive Father of Janet
Husband to Celine

Mr. & Mrs. Westfall
Parents of Celine & Daniel

Daniel Westfall
Son of Mr. & Mrs. Westfall
Younger Brother of Celine

Madame Malisorf - ballet instructor to Janet
Dimitri Rocmalowitz - ballet student
Marlene - Sanford's sister
Mildred Stemple - the Delorice's maid
Charles - fitted Janet for pointe shoes
Dr. Franklin - Delorice's doctor
Gordon & Louise Tooey - owners of The Lakewood House
Mrs. McGuire - chief administrator of orphanage
Tommy Turner - orphan
Donald Lawson - orphan
Margaret Lester - orphan
Philip - groundskeeper at orphanage
Mr. Saks - principal
Blair Cummings - 4th grade schoolmate
Miss Walker - 4th grade teacher

@ The Peabody School:

Students:
Betty Lowe
Billy Ross
Jackie Clark
Josh Brown

Teachers:
Mrs. Williams - prinipal
Miss London
Mr. Wiles
Mrs. Grant

Crystal

Crystal Perry Morris
Daughter of Amanda Perry
Adoptive Daughter of Thelma & Karl Morris

Amanda Perry
Mother of Crystal

Karl Morris
Husband to Thelma
Adoptive Father of Crystal
Son of Papa & Lily Morris

Thelma Morris
Wife to Karl
Adoptive Mother of Crystal
Daughter of Grandpa & Grandma (Martha)

Papa Morris
Husband to the late Lily
Father of Karl, Stuart, & Gary

Lily Morris
Late Wife to Papa Morris
Mother of Karl, Stuart, & Gary

Mr. Phillips - worked at orphanage
Molly Stuart - orphan
Mrs. Miles - Mr. Phillip's secretary
Chastity "Chas" & Arnold "Arn" - prospective adoption parents
Stuart Morris - Karl's middle brother
Gary Morris - Karl's youngest brother
Charlie, Richard, & Marty - friends of Papa Morris
Grandpa & Grandma (Martha) - mother of Thelma
Old Lady Potter - neighbor
Mr. Friedman - teacher
Mr. Albert - teacher
Vera Raymond - Ashley's mother
Mr. Nissen - principal
Mr. Saddler - teacher
Marsha Benjamin - orphan
Glen Fraser - orphan
Mr. Kolton & Ms. Thacker - child welfare agents
Billy - orphan
Charlie Morris - ad agent mentioned by Mrs. Felder
Mrs. Felder - Bernie's mother

STUDENTS:
Helga
Tom MacNamara
Jack Martin
Clara Seymour
Bernie Felder - Crystal's love interest
William "Buster" - Helga's brother
Fern Peaboody
Gary Lakewood
Alicia
Mona
Rachael Peterson
Rae & Zoe - twins
Haley Thomas
Randal Wolfe
Ashley Raymond
Todd Philips

Characters from Thelma's Books & Soap Operas:
Amanda Fairchild - author of Love's Second Chance (LSC)
Amanda Glass - author of Heart Shell
April - character in LSC
Ariel & Todd - characters on Hearts and Flowers
Brenda - character in Thunder in My Heart
Brock & Megan - characters on a soap opera
Elana - character on Shadows of Forever
Grant - character on Days in the Sun (DitS)
Nevada & Johnny Lee - characters on a soap opera
November & Edmond - character on DitS
Rea & Lindsey - characters in Yesterday's Children
Stacy - character in Love on Wheels
Torch Summers - author of Throbs of the Heart
Whelma Matthews - character on DitS

Brooke

Brooke Thompson
Adoptive Daughter of Peter & Pamela Thompson

Peter Thompson
Husband of Pamela
Adoptove father of Brooke

Pamela Thompson
Wife of Peter
Adoptive mother of Brooke

Mrs. Talbot - social worker
Millie - salesgirl at Bloomingdale's
Sacket - butler to the Thompson's
Joline - maid to the Thompson's
Brenda Francis - friend at orphanage
Billy Thompson - friend at orphanage
Mrs. Harper - principal @ Agnes Fodor School
Hiliary Lindsey - school receptionist
Miss Randall - principal's secretary
Mr. Rudley - teacher
Mrs. Grossbard - PE teacher/softball coach
Professor Wertchman - piano instructor
Gerry Lawson - pageant sponsor prospect
Mr. Sternberg - teacher
William Daniels - photgrapher
Mr. Brazil - teacher

STUDENTS:
Margaret Wilson
Heather Harper
Lisa Donald
Eva Jensen
Rosemary Gillian
Helen Baldwin
Louise
Stacey
Cora Munsen
Harrison - Lisa's cousin
Paula Dworkins
Brody Taylor - Harrison's friend
David Gillian - Rosemary's brother

Raven

Raven Flores
Daughter of "Mama" (We never learn her name in this book.)

Mama Stack
Mother of Raven

Reuben Stack
Husband to Clara
Father of Jennifer and William
Uncle to Raven

Clara Stack
Wife to Reuben
Mother of Jennifer and William
Aunt to Raven

Jennifer Stack
Daughter of Reuben and Clara

William Stack
Son of Reuben and Clara

Lila Thomas - girl caught shoplifting
Mr. Winecoup - tenant in Raven's apartment building
Mr. Moore - principal
Martha - principal's secretary
Mr. Finnerman - math teacher
Terri Johnson - friend to Raven
Clarence Dunsen - boy who stuttered
Robert Longo - student
Mrs. Broadhurst - teacher
Paula Gordon - student
Ronnie Clark - Raven's 6th grade boyfriend
Mrs. Wilson - Raven's 6th grade P.E. coach
Gary Carson - student
Jimmy Freer - student
Missy (Melissa) Taylor - student
Brad Dillon - student
Mr. Martin - Raven's old counselor
Mr. Wizenberg - cafeteria monitor
Donna Marie - Clarence's baby sister
Peggy Morris - bus driver
Mr. Gattlin - teacher
Mrs. Wilson - P.E. coach
Mrs. Millstein - school nurse
Marjorie Rosner - children's protection service worker