Mr. Wrong Number

Olivia Marshall is the protagonist of the novel and one of two first-person narrators. The chapters and subsections titled with her first name are written from her perspective. Olivia’s parents are Nancy and Fred and her older brothers are Jack and Will. In the narrative present, Olivia is 25 years old. She’s just moved back to Omaha, Nebraska from Chicago, Illinois. Jack invites her to stay with him and his roommate Colin Beck in their downtown condo after Olivia loses her job, boyfriend, and apartment and moves back home, positioning her character arc as a journey of Self-Discovery During Times of Transition.

Painter characterizes Olivia as an empathetic, funny, and determined person whose tendency to feel embarrassed is usually “to blame for [her] trips, spills, and general awkwardness” (13). Colin later realizes that Olivia’s boisterous nature is rooted in her excitement for life—a trait he comes to admire and love. Despite Olivia’s clumsiness and penchant for mishaps, she’s able to laugh at herself and make light of her frequent bad luck. Painter suggests that her keen sense of humor is a survival mechanism that she relies on to overcome difficult situations.