First-Time Caller

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness and sexual harassment.

The work’s protagonist, Lucie, is an auto mechanic who lives in Baltimore. She became pregnant with her daughter, Maya, as a teenager, and she and Maya now live next door to Maya’s father, Grayson, and his husband, Mateo. Lucie is a protective, devoted, and selfless mother, so when she discovers Maya talking to a radio host about her love life, Lucie is shocked and somewhat dismayed, “wobbling between fear and embarrassment that [she’s] not doing enough for [her] kid while simultaneously hoping [they’d] forget that call ever happened” (39). Parenthood as Both Challenge and Reward is thus a key part of Lucie’s character arc, as Lucie must learn to extend grace to herself as a mother and recognize her own needs.

Despite her tendency toward insecurity, Lucie routinely pushes herself out of her own comfort zone, most notably when she decides that appearing on the Heartstrings radio show could reinvigorate her life. Lucie has strong beliefs about the power of community and love for others, as she routinely assures her daughter that their found family with Grayson, Mateo, and Patty is more than enough for her to have a fulfilling life.