Penelope Bunce: The Loyal Friend Who Breaks Curses and Learns to Let Go
Overview
Penelope Bunce is Simon Snow's fiercely loyal best friend and a brilliant young magician who takes charge of solving curses and mysteries. In Any Way the Wind Blows, the final book of Rainbow Rowell's Simon Snow trilogy, Penelope emerges from the shadow of Simon's destiny to confront her own flaws—especially her compulsive need to control every situation. Over the course of the novel, she learns that love sometimes means stepping back, that not every problem can be solved with a spell, and that her greatest strength may be simply trusting others.
Plot Role
Penelope acts as the group's strategist and researcher. While Simon grapples with losing his magic and Baz navigates family turmoil, Penelope relentlessly hunts for answers. She brings Shepard, a Normal cursed by a demonic marriage proposal, into the magical world and dedicates herself to breaking his contract. Her determination drives much of the book's second half: she tracks down her father for advice, translates ancient rituals, and ultimately punches out the villain Evander Feverfew to rescue Philippa. She also plays a key role in exposing the false Chosen One, Smith-Richards, by helping the group investigate his so-called cures.
Motivations and Traits
Penelope is driven by a deep-seated need to protect the people she loves. She acts decisively, often before thinking through consequences—she erases Shepard's memory in Chapter 5, then revives him and flees her mother's home, all in a matter of moments. This impulsiveness stems from genuine care, but it also reflects a fear of failure. In Chapter 21, she harshly lists her own mistakes: causing dangerous situations, being dumped by Simon without noticing, killing vampires on camera. Her self-critical nature pushes her to fix things, but also makes it hard for her to accept help or admit uncertainty.
Her intelligence is undeniable. She turns her apartment wall into a blackboard (Chapter 10) to organize clues, and she devises a loophole to break Shepard's contract by arguing it was invalid (Chapter 42). Yet her greatest challenge is learning that not everything can be controlled—Simon's choices, Baz's feelings, or her own relationship with Shepard.
Chronological Arc
Penelope's arc in Any Way the Wind Blows moves from controlling to releasing control. Early on, she tries to manage Simon's life, even after he moves out. In Chapter 11, when Baz wants to search for Simon, Penelope refuses, saying she promised him space—admitting she has been too controlling. This is a turning point: she consciously chooses to let Simon make his own decisions, even though it hurts.
Her relationship with Shepard deepens this growth. In Chapter 54, they spend two days researching together, sharing stories, and kissing. But she nearly repeats her pattern by wanting to fight the demon directly. Shepard's refusal to let her sacrifice someone else shows her a different path. When she finally breaks the curse in Chapter 61, she does so by summoning the demon and arguing the contract—a solution that uses her intelligence rather than brute force.
Later, in Chapter 69, she punches Evander Feverfew, a moment of action that contrasts with her earlier reliance on spells. By the end, she has rebuilt her friendship with Simon (though still strained) and formed a genuine partnership with Shepard, based on trust rather than control.
Relationships
Simon Snow: Their friendship is tested severely. Simon resents Penelope's mothering; she resents being shut out. In Chapter 10, Penelope realizes she misjudged their relationship. Throughout the book, they drift apart—Simon ignores her texts (Chapter 21), and Penelope ignores his (Chapter 48). But they never stop caring. In Chapter 61, after Shepard's curse is broken, they reunite happily. Penelope accepts Simon's new identity as a Normal, and they celebrate together.
Baz Pitch: Penelope and Baz start as antagonists, but they grow into wary allies. In Chapter 11, Baz confronts her about letting Simon go, and she cries while insisting on freedom. Later, they work together to find Philippa and stop Smith-Richards. Baz's directness challenges Penelope's indirect approach.
Shepard: A Normal cursed by a demon. Penelope initially sees him as a puzzle to solve. Over time, she develops romantic feelings—they kiss in Chapter 54—but his hidden magical debts (fantasy children, lost last name) strain them in Chapters 54–55. Still, she breaks his curse and chooses to keep helping him, showing she can commit without full control.
Family: Penelope's relationship with her mother, Headmistress Bunce, is fraught. In Chapter 5, her mother erases Shepard's memory, and Penelope rebels. In Chapter 48, she avoids her mother's texts. However, her father supports her in secret (Chapter 45), and later her mother helps stop Smith-Richards by jumping from the Weeping Tower (Chapter 74). Penelope's arc includes reconciling with her family's authority.
Key Decisions and Consequences
| Decision | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Erasing Shepard's memory then reviving him (Ch. 5) | Strains relationship with her mother; introduces Shepard permanently into the plot. |
| Letting Simon go and refusing to chase him (Ch. 11) | Baz goes alone; Penelope respects Simon's autonomy, marking her growth. |
| Sending Shepard away for his safety (Ch. 21) | Shepard leaves—but Penelope later calls him back (Ch. 25), learning she needs help. |
| Researching instead of fighting the demon (Ch. 42) | Discovers a legal loophole; avoids violence. |
| Punching Evander Feverfew (Ch. 69) | Frees Philippa; shows Penelope can act bravely without magic. |
| Keeping Shepard's memory intact (Ch. 23) | Builds trust and leads to their investigation. |
Theme/Symbol Connections
Loyalty and Control: Penelope's arc explores how loyalty can become toxic if it turns into control. She must learn that true loyalty means trusting others to make their own mistakes. The blackboard she covers with notes symbolizes her need to impose order on chaos—but by the end, she accepts that some things can't be planned.
Guilt and Forgiveness: Shepard's curse and Simon's anger force Penelope to confront her own guilt over past failures. She forgives Shepard for lying about the contract (Chapter 40) and begins to forgive herself for not being a perfect friend.
Identity and Transformation: Penelope undergoes subtle but important changes. She stops defining herself solely as Simon's protector and starts forming her own identity as a witch, researcher, and partner. Her relationship with Shepard—a Normal who sees her as a hero—helps her see herself anew.
Book-Specific Questions and Answers
1. Why does Penelope erase Shepard's memory in Chapter 5?
Penelope follows her mother's orders to maintain magical secrecy. However, she immediately regrets it and uses a counter-spell to restore Shepard's memory, prioritizing his safety over the rules.
2. What is Penelope's blackboard used for?
She turns her wall into a blackboard in Chapter 10 to organize what she knows and doesn't know about the ongoing mysteries—Simon's disappearance, Shepard's curse, and the new Chosen One. It represents her need to control information.
3. How does Penelope break Shepard's demonic marriage contract?
In Chapter 61, she summons the demon and argues that the contract is invalid because Shepard is more trouble than he's worth—a clever legalistic loophole inspired by her father's advice in Chapter 45.
4. Why does Penelope refuse to search for Simon in Chapter 11?
She tells Baz that Simon needs space and that she has been too controlling. It is a painful but mature decision to let her friend make his own choices.
5. What role does Penelope play in stopping Smith-Richards?
She tracks Baz's enchanted bag to the Home for Waifs (Chapter 66), uses tracking spells, and helps rescue Philippa. At the climax, her mother stops Smith in the chapel while Penelope and the others expose his fraudulent cures.