Kenna Rowan: Character Analysis in Reminders of Him

Overview of Kenna Rowan

Kenna Rowan is the protagonist of Colleen Hoover's Reminders of Him. She returns to her small town after serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake: driving under the influence, she crashed the car, killing her boyfriend Scotty. At the story's start, she is released and immediately tries to reconnect with her young daughter, Diem, who is being raised by Scotty's parents. The community, including Scotty's best friend Ledger Ward, initially shuts her out. Her journey is one of guilt, perseverance, and the fight to reclaim her identity as a mother.

Kenna's Chronological Arc and Motivations

Kenna's actions are driven by two conflicting forces: a deep, crushing guilt over Scotty's death, and an equally fierce love for the daughter she barely knows. At the beginning, she is isolated and determined, willing to endure a hostile town just to see Diem (see plot overview). Her first act is stealing a wooden cross from Scotty's accident site, believing he would have hated it. This small rebellion shows her commitment to honoring Scotty in her own way, defying those who memorialize him.

She rents a run-down apartment and takes on a low-paying grocery job. Throughout the novel, she writes letters to Scotty, confessing her grief and daily struggles. These letters reveal her inability to forgive herself. She relives the accident in her mind, including the moment she panicked and left the scene, not realizing Scotty was still alive. This mistake haunts her.

Kenna's growth is incremental but clear. She moves from a state of utter self-blame to a place where she can accept the possibility of a future. By the end, she begins to allow herself to smile and listen to music again, symbolic of her emotional healing.

Key Relationships

Kenna and Ledger Ward

Ledger is initially her harshest judge. He has hated her for years for taking his best friend's life. Their relationship begins in tension and suspicion. He provides her a job in his bar's kitchen under a false name, driven by a mix of pity and a growing attraction. Over time, he sees past his prejudice. In a pivotal moment, he admits that he was wrong to say Diem would not benefit from having Kenna in her life. This shift is based on evidence from chapter 31, where he apologizes to himself for that harsh judgment. Their romance develops slowly and is complicated by the risk of losing the Landry family's trust.

Kenna and Diem Landry

Diem is the heart of Kenna's motivation. For most of the story, Kenna has no legal rights. She sees her daughter only from a distance—through videos on Ledger's phone, from behind a grocery store window, and briefly at a recital. In one scene, she takes and keeps a hair tie from Ledger's truck because it contains a lock of Diem's hair—a small, physical connection to the child she cannot hold. The novel's central question is whether she will ever be allowed to be a mother to Diem.

Kenna and the Landry Family

Patrick and Grace, Scotty's parents, are the main obstacle. They file a restraining order against Kenna and see her as a threat. Kenna accepts their hostility, believing she deserves it. Eventually, Grace reads one of Kenna's letters to Scotty, which finally opens the door to forgiveness and reconciliation. Grace later gives Kenna the ring Scotty bought before he died, a powerful symbol of acceptance.

Major Decisions and Consequences

Kenna's biggest decision is to stay in town despite the animosity. She could return to Denver, but she refuses to give up on seeing Diem. When she is served a restraining order publicly at work, she experiences a panic attack but does not run away.

Her decision to work for Ledger under a false name is a risky move that eventually backfires when Patrick finds out. However, it also builds the trust between her and Ledger that becomes essential for her eventual reunion.

In the final chapters, Kenna decides to leave town to spare everyone more pain. Ledger gives her money, but her departure does not last. Grace's change of heart draws her back.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Kenna embodies the novel's core themes of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances. Her struggle is not just to be forgiven by others but to forgive herself. Her daily letters to Scotty represent her inability to let go of the past. Her habit of avoiding music because "it is sad" reflects her emotional numbness. When she finally turns on the radio in the truck, smiling at the memory of Scotty, it symbolizes her acceptance of grief without letting it define her.

The cross she steals at the beginning is a recurring symbol. Kenna rejects the idea of the memorial because she knows Scotty would have hated it. By the end, she returns to the site with Diem and replants the cross, showing that she can participate in rituals of remembrance on her own terms.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kenna Rowan

Why does Kenna steal the cross in Chapter 1?

Kenna believes Scotty would have hated the roadside memorial. She saw his mother Grace place it there and felt it did not honor who he actually was. Stealing it is an act of defiance and a personal act of grieving.

What causes Ledger to change his opinion of Kenna?

Ledger's shift begins when he learns Kenna never held Diem after birth and when he watches her reaction to seeing videos of her daughter. The key turning point is in chapter 31, where he admits to himself that he was wrong to say Diem would not benefit from Kenna's presence.

How does Kenna finally earn Grace's forgiveness?

Grace reads one of the letters Kenna wrote to Scotty from prison. In it, Kenna confesses the full truth about the accident. After reading the letter, Grace visits Kenna and gives her Scotty's engagement ring, symbolizing full forgiveness and an invitation to dinner.

What keeps Kenna from trying to kidnap Diem?

Kenna considers it, but she decides to wait for a legal chance. She knows that taking Diem would only hurt the child and ruin any possibility of a future relationship. This restraint shows her growth as a mother who prioritizes her daughter's well-being.

What does the ending reveal about Kenna's future?

In the epilogue, Kenna has a son named Scotty. She sees Diem daily and Diem stays with her and Ledger twice a week. She is no longer writing frequent letters to Scotty because she is no longer lonely. This shows her full reintegration into a family and her emotional healing.

Conclusion

Kenna Rowan is a multi-layered character defined by her mistakes and her refusal to be limited by them. She carries monumental guilt but never stops fighting for the chance to be a mother. Her journey from isolation to acceptance, and from self-loathing to self-forgiveness, marks her as a powerful example of a character seeking redemption through love and persistence. For more insights, read the full summary or explore the ending explanation.