People in her life: Harry - Father Thomas -Best Friend Shelly Friend/Father's Fiance - Grandmoo - Grandmother Mr. - Teacher Arthur Dad's co-worker Phil - Uncle Case Summary Vada Sultanfuss is a 11 year old girl who lives in a small town in Pennsylvania. Vada lives with her father, Harry, who is a successful mortician and runs a funeral business in their home's basement and living room. Vada grew up without a mother, since her mother died 2 days after giving birth to her. Vada had a close relationship with her grandmother, Grandmoo, who has lost her mind and no longer speaks or is interactive. Vada has a best friend named Thomas, who she hangs out with everyday. The newest person in Vada's life is Shelly, who was hired to work for her father but soon develops a romantic relationship with him. Growing up in a funeral home and being exposed to dead corpse and depressed families has Vada confused about death. Vada seems to be hypochondriac obsessing that she has hemorrhoids, breast cancer, prostate cancer, a chicken bone in her throat, and allergic to bees. Vada also has a hard time expressing her feelings, each time she is asked what is really going on she will run away, change the topic of the conversation, or cover her ears while making loud noises. Vada also seems to be confused about her mother's death and blames herself for being the reason her mother passed away. Vada urns for her father's attention and feels that she is invisible to him. Vada doesn't have much friends, her only friend is Thomas. Other girls from school bully her for only having Thomas as a friend and the fact that he is a boy. Vada is also insecure thinking that she is not pretty. Vada has developed a crush on her English teach Mr. and even enrolls in his adult poetry class to impress him. Vada also starts having a hard time accepting that her father and Shelly are dating and soon to be married, she starts pushing Shelly away. After Thomas dies, Vada has a hard time coping and questions her father about what happened to her mother. Vada's father doesn't pay much attention to Vada. He never talked to her about her mother or how she passed away. Harry is so focused on his work with the dead that he neglects Vada. Vada does whatever she wants and her father hardly notices if she's home or not. Harry seems to have a hard time understanding what Vada is going through and thinks it will go away on it's own. When Vada tries to converse with him, he doesn't show much interest in her conversations nor gives her any eye contact. Harry expects Vada to take care of herself and take care of her Grandma during funeral services.