from “Vacation” by Betsie Hill
Mimi is not your typical protagonist. She’s flawed, reactive, insecure, and deeply, deeply human. What makes Mimi such a compelling character isn’t that she always gets things right—it’s that she’s willing to try again, even when the odds feel stacked against her.
At her core, Mimi wants connection. Whether she’s managing chaotic library politics, navigating complex friendships, or stumbling into and out of romantic entanglements, she does so with a kind of reckless sincerity. She can be gaumless and sharp-tongued, but it always comes from a place of trying to protect something—her work, her sense of self, or the people she cares about.
One of Mimi’s most defining qualities is her resilience. After heartbreak, professional sabotage, public embarrassment, and personal loss, she doesn’t wallow for long. She gets up, reevaluates, and reroutes. Sometimes she makes mistakes in those reroutes, but that’s the beauty of her arc: she grows. She reflects. She evolves.
Her relationships—particularly with Veronica, Betty, and Henry—showcase her complexity. She’s not always the easiest friend or partner, but she’s always real. And when she does forgive, it’s big-hearted and genuine, even if it costs her emotionally.
Mimi isn’t a hero in the conventional sense, and she’s not trying to be. She’s someone who lives through her mistakes, questions herself, and still somehow keeps going. That’s why so many people see themselves in her. Because life doesn’t always make sense, and neither does Mimi—but she tries to make it meaningful anyway.
And sometimes, that’s more than enough.