Content Warning: The novel contains racist language, including racial expletives, and depicts racial violence. Some of that language is replicated in this guide when directly quoting the source text, but the author’s use of racial expletives is obscured.

Rose Lee is the central protagonist and first-person narrator of White Lilacs. She is a 12-year-old Black girl who lives in Freedom, Texas, with much of her extended family. Despite her young age, she has a strong understanding of the society that she lives in. She works with her grandfather in the garden to help him at his job, while also being willing to work with her Aunt Tillie in the kitchen to earn extra money for her family. She also recognizes the injustice in Dillon, as she strictly follows the Bells’ rules, gives up her friendship with Catherine Jane due to their different skin color, and recognizes the danger that Henry is in when he repeatedly speaks out against the white community.

As the narrator, Rose Lee is a round character about whom much is known in the novel. She loves drawing, but she also realizes that her work is more important as she hides her sketchbook and only draws in her free time.