Fiona Gallagher

Fiona Gallagher has been a parent since she was about nine years old. With a mother perpetually absent and a father who is a masterclass in failure, she stepped up. She changed diapers, packed lunches, forged signatures, and learned how to argue with landlords, teachers, and cops before she got her driver's license. She dropped out of high school to work more hours. Every day is a high-wire act of keeping the lights on, the fridge semi-full, and her brothers and sister in school and out of jail. Now one of them—Lip's fighting, Ian's skipping, Carl's... being Carl—has tripped enough wires to get the attention of the school inspector. This meeting isn't about a kid; it's a threat to her entire, painstakingly built world.