Character Analysis
When the novel opens, Rosaleen takes care of Lily and helps around their house. Despite trying to maintain a tough exterior, Rosaleen is a big softie underneath, in Lily's view:
I was the only one who knew that despite her sharp ways, her heart was more tender than a flower skin and she loved me beyond reason. (1.73)
Like a lot of the novel's other characters, Rosaleen is a little quirky. Her exact age is unknown because she doesn't have a birth certificate, so she either tells people she was born in 1909 or 1919, depending on "how old she felt at the moment" (1.77). She was married, but she threw her husband out after three years for cheating.
Soon after the story begins, Rosaleen, who is African American, decides to go into town to register to vote after the Civil Rights Act is signed. She gets harassed by a group of white men at the edge of town—and since Rosaleen is tough-as-nails and just wants to enjoy her big moment, she's not having any of it. In fact, she ends up pouring a jug of her spit (yes, she has an affection for snuff, which Lily finds fairly foul) all over the men's feet.
As you might imagine, that doesn't end well—Rosaleen goes to jail. Lily manages to help her bust out, and the two of them flee to nearby Tiburon together, where they end up living with the Boatwright sisters.
Rosaleen is definitely a good egg. She's strong, sassy, and doesn't put up with nonsense from other people. Sure, she has some habits (e.g., the snuff) that people like Lily might find a little gross or embarrassing, but she stands up for what she believes in, doesn't suffer abuse gladly, and is fiercely loving toward our heroine. What's not to like?