Lina Mayfleet

Lina Mayfleet is one of the two main characters in Jeanne DuPrau's Ember books.

At the beginning of The City of Ember, Lina is twelve years old, and is described as being a "slender girl with long dark hair." She lives with her grandmother and two year old sister, Poppy, in Quillium Square. Lina is an orphan, having lost both of her parents at the age of ten. Her mother died during childbirth; her father died during an outbreak of "Coughing Sickness." Lina's great-great grandfather was the seventh mayor of Ember, and was responsible for the loss of the box containing the Instructions for Egress.

Lina's extended family includes her friend Doon Harrow and his father, and Mrs. Murdo, who becomes her guardian. In the first Ember book, she also spends a considerable amount of time with Clary, the manager of the Ember greenhouse and a former colleague of her father.

Lina's closest ally is Doon. The two were childhood friends, but broke off contact after a schoolyard dispute. When they arrange to trade their unwanted jobs after Assignment Day in the first Ember book, they renewed their friendship.

Lina is depicted as being a high-spirited, inquisitive girl. She cherishes her job, as a Messenger, because it gives her an opportunity to run and explore the city. She is also portrayed as a responsible figure, caring for both her grandmother and sister throughout the books. Lina is also a talented artist, and constantly draws pictures of things she has neither seen nor learned about in Ember, such as cities with skyscrapers and blue skies. This talent is never explained.

Lina in the Ember books

Lina is a central figure in both The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. In the former book, she is the one who discovers the lost Instructions for Egress, and with Doon, pieces them together and discovers a way out of the city.

In The People of Sparks, Lina continues to use her mediation and riddle-solving skills by discovering that the people of Ember are the "hidden treasure" of an oft-repeated rhyme. She is also the only Emberite to leave the city of Sparks, heading out into the countryside to discover the "shining city" she has dreamt about and drawn.