characters Malcolm: male, smart, kind, mean by accident, krelboyne, 14 Reese: male, rude, bully, fragile ego, beats krelboyne kids, 15 Dewey: male, picked on by his brothers, crazy when he eats sugar, 9 Francis: male, Rebelous, troubled, piama's husband, 19 Piama: female, fiery, independent, fiercely independent, Francis' wife, no nonsense, 20 Hal: male, dad, fun, only serious when needed, late 40s Lois: female, Mom, stubborn, harsh punishments, good mom, Francis and Piama live in New Mexico, and Francis has a job at a ranch called the grotto