Life As We Knew It

Miranda’s mother is a shrewd individual who realizes how desperate things might get in the wake of the moon event. She is proactive and thoughtful, and plans for her family’s survival, foregoing food and comfort to ensure they have a better chance. She has many arguments with Miranda in the novel, as her daughter feels that some of the measures she takes to ensure their survival are unfair. Miranda’s mother is tasked with trying to shield her children from the awful truth that they might not survive, and that all of her actions, however unfavorable, are to ensure that they at least have a fighting chance.

Matt is Miranda’s level-headed older brother. He studies philosophy, and has a stoic demeanor despite his youth. He is in college when the asteroid hits the moon, but is able to make it back home before it is too late. A teenager himself, Matt quickly takes on the role of father figure in the family, working with his mother to ensure that they are provided for and protected. He is a quiet person, and Miranda learns that he often knows a lot more about what is happening than she does, as he and Laura confide in one another and make decisions together. Matt enables them to survive without assistance. When he gets sick, Miranda is afraid that they will all die without his knowledge and his strength.

Jonny is Miranda’s younger brother. He is obsessed with baseball, and hopes to be a professional player one day. He is thirteen when the novel begins. As he is the youngest, the rest of the family decides that if any of them are to survive, Jonny will have the best chance. Unbeknownst to him, the other family members begin eating less so that Jonny, a growing kid, will have enough to eat. He is sent away to baseball camp early on, which allows him to eat regularly and keep active. Jonny eventually realizes that everyone is eating less on his account and is unsure how to feel about it.

Mrs. Nesbitt is a family friend who shares in the family’s trials and tribulations. She knew Miranda’s grandparents, and helps the family as much as she can after the asteroid hits the moon and causes widespread destruction. She is elderly, and decides that she will not burden the family by moving in with them, despite their insistence. She finally tells Miranda that she will not survive for much longer, but that Miranda must take her food and provisions when she dies. Miranda notes that Mrs. Nesbitt was the only person who knew how to die gracefully. She was content with her life, and took joy in being able to provide things for Miranda’s family.

Peter is a doctor who begins dating Miranda’s mother. However, after the asteroid hits the moon, he is overwhelmed by work. Miranda always views him as the harbinger of death, because when he comes to dinner he always tells the family about the new ways people are dying. Peter brings the family food when he can, and Miranda warms to him because he seems to bring joy to her mother. When a deadly strain of flu hits the town, Peter, along with most of the hospital staff, dies from the epidemic.

Megan is one of Miranda’s best friends. After their friend Becky dies, Megan turns to religion. By the time the asteroid strikes the moon, there is a noticeable rift in the girls’ friendship, with Megan praying for Miranda’s soul and taking on the role of a martyr, refusing to eat so that others might have her food. Miranda wishes that Megan would return to how she was before Becky’s death. At the same time, Megan wishes that Miranda would accept that the death and destruction is a sign of God’s unhappiness, and hopes that she will find happiness by accepting God and asking for forgiveness of her sins.