Caroline Montgomery
More actions
| Caroline Montgomery | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Caroline Montgomery |
| Affiliation | None |
| Status | Active |
| Occupation | Unknown |
| First appearance | Referenced in Making the Grades: Allie's Descent |
| Canon status | Confirmed |
About
Caroline Montgomery (b. December 21, 1984) is Meghan Kang's mother. She was born into a wealthy traditional Southern family who expected her to marry Jackson Warrington III, a match arranged since she was twelve. She broke the engagement when she discovered she was pregnant with Meghan following a secret visit to Joon-ho Kang in Washington D.C. in November 2004. The decision cost her her family's acceptance and left her with unresolved guilt and shame that she has carried into her relationship with her daughter.
Background
Caroline became aware of her family's plans for her to marry Jackson Warrington III at age twelve. She began dating him in high school, accepted his marriage proposal after returning from a study abroad program in Seoul in Summer 2004, and then broke the engagement in February 2005 after discovering she was pregnant with Joon-ho's child.
She met Joon-ho Kang in Seoul in Spring 2004 while teaching English and studying abroad. The affair was transformative. She returned to the U.S. and initially recommitted to her arranged path, accepting Jackson's proposal. But when Joon-ho relocated to Washington D.C. for work in October 2004, she visited him secretly at Thanksgiving. She discovered the pregnancy in February 2005 and ended the engagement, choosing Joon-ho. Her family estranged her for it.
Personality and traits
Caroline loves Meghan and resents the circumstances of her own life simultaneously, two things she has never fully separated. She projects her unfulfilled aspirations onto her daughter and experiences Meghan's independence as a personal challenge. When Meghan chose Eastern Tsuga College over more prestigious institutions and arrived on campus and immediately dyed her hair pink, Caroline experienced it as a repudiation. She was not wrong that it was partly intended as one.
She lives with a mix of guilt over the choices she made and grief over what those choices cost her. She was not wrong to follow her heart. She has also never fully processed what following it meant.
Canon notes
- Born December 21, 1984
- Current occupation not established
- Current relationship with Joon-ho Kang not detailed beyond raising Meghan together
- Whether she appears in the novel on-page or only in backstory has not been confirmed