Mrs. Monroe is the mother of Grace Monroe and the wife of Grace's unnamed father. She only appears in Grace's memory tape, in "The Origami Car" and is briefly mentioned in "The Debutante Ball Car". Grace's point of view on her mother's parenting explains Grace's initial goals and trauma.
Appearance[]
Mrs. Monroe is a woman of African decent with long dark straight hair. She often wore expensive and formal dresses and jewelry. On the day Grace got on the train Mrs. Monroe's hair went from a long v-cut hairstyle to a shorter blunt hairstyle.
Mrs. Monroe's height is exaggerated in the scene where Grace tries on a different outfit to impress her. She towers over both present Grace watching and Grace from the past.
Personality[]
Grace's mother is remembered as a strict parent concerned with impressing people with appearances. Her work and social life led her to be more impatient with Grace.
History[]
Mrs. Monroe's early life is unknown, her English accent suggests she might have been born or raised in the United Kingdom. She got married and had at least one child, a daughter named Grace. The families outfits, their home's fancy interior design, and the ability to afford various servants and tutors implies they are very well off.
While she and her husband wanted the best for Grace, putting her in several of the best private dance classes, Grace often felt neglected by them. Two of Grace's reasons include not showing up to her ballet performance and handing her off to available babysitters when she was an inconvenience at home.
Book Three - Cult of the Conductor[]
The Debutante Ball Car[]
Grace's parents are mentioned by Grace as she tries to connect with Hazel. Her parents valued "learning from the best" thus put her into private tap dance, hip hop, and ballet classes. Grace blurts out she was deeply upset with her parents not showing up to her ballet performance.
The Origami Car[]
Mrs. Monroe is seen in a few flashbacks in Grace’s memory tape. First when a younger Grace imagines her and her father attending her recital only to find that they didn't show up at all.
In another scene she gets angry at Grace for putting on an outfit and the makeup she insists isn't fit for her first impressions with an ambassador. She quickly orders Grace's caregivers to "take her to the movies or something" before leaving.
She is last seen with her husband at the Police Station after Grace is caught stealing. She doesn't talk to either the police officer or Grace. Rather scowling and standing behind her husband while he goes on to insist their daughter's innocence. They both ignore Grace insinuating she was guilty.
Trivia[]
- She is voiced by Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who uses her natural English accent rather than the American accent she puts on when voicing Grace. According to the writers in the Book 2 DVD commentary, this was done to provide an explanation for Grace's slight British accent quirks in her dialogue.
|