Characters This Could Be Us Kennedy Ryan

Lupe Barnes: The Steady Heart of Soledad’s Family

Overview

Lupe Barnes is the middle daughter of Soledad and Edward Barnes in Kennedy Ryan’s This Could Be Us. Unlike her younger sister Lottie and her older sister Inez, Lupe consistently acts as a bridge between the family’s tensions and her mother’s evolving independence. She is the first to notice the social media fallout after Edward’s arrest, the first to offer to get a job to help financially, and the one who gently pressures Inez to accept Soledad’s new relationship. Through her actions, Lupe embodies the novel’s themes of loyalty, self-love, and healing.

Plot Role

Lupe’s role in the story is twofold: she is both a witness to the family’s unraveling and an active participant in its repair. She attends the chaotic Christmas dinner and later confronts Soledad about the news coverage of Edward’s embezzlement. When Soledad launches her focaccia business, Lupe works alongside her sisters to deliver orders. She is also the one who catches Judah Cross at the end of a delivery route, and later helps orchestrate a truce between Inez and Soledad before a combined family dinner. Without Lupe’s steady mediation, the fracture between Inez and Soledad would likely have widened.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Lupe’s primary motivation is the well-being of her family, especially her mother. When Soledad struggles financially, Lupe immediately offers to take a part-time job: “I can get a job, Mom. I can help.” Soledad declines, wanting Lupe to focus on school and extracurriculars for college, but the offer shows Lupe’s maturity and sense of responsibility.

Her social consciousness is another defining trait. In an early dinner scene, Lupe mocks the “elitist” private school Harrington and defends public school, saying she would “trade all that to be in a school that’s even vaguely diverse.” This line reveals her awareness of systemic inequities and her willingness to stand by her principles, even when it means going against family norms.

Lupe also displays fierce protectiveness. When Inez threatens to sabotage the dinner with Judah’s family, Lupe warns her sister: “Lupe did threaten me with bodily harm if I screw things up for you tonight.” This blend of humor and firmness keeps the family peace while respecting Soledad’s new path.

Chronological Arc

Lupe’s arc moves from passive observer to active family stabilizer. Initially, she is present at meals but does not initiate conflict. After Edward’s arrest, she is the first daughter to see the social media posts and question her mother, but she does so without accusation. Midway through the novel, she helps with the focaccia deliveries and takes on more emotional labor by mediating between Inez and Soledad. By the end, she is the one who cheerfully greets Judah Cross at the family dinner, signaling her full acceptance of her mother’s new relationship. Her arc mirrors the novel’s broader journey from crisis to cohesive family unit.

Relationships

With Soledad: Lupe shares a trusting, communicative bond with her mother. She does not blame Soledad for Edward’s arrest and instead offers support. Soledad, in turn, confides in Lupe more openly than with Inez or Lottie.

With Inez: The sisters clash over loyalty. Inez holds a grudge against Judah Cross for exposing Edward, while Lupe sees the situation more pragmatically. Lupe uses her influence to soften Inez’s stance, ultimately helping to rebuild the family dynamic.

With Lottie: As the youngest, Lottie looks up to both older sisters. Lupe’s calm demeanor provides a stable example for Lottie during the family’s upheaval.

With Edward: Lupe maintains a relationship with her father, but she does not defend his actions. She visits him in prison—implied but not shown—and later reminds Inez that their father “did it to himself.”

With Judah Cross: Lupe accepts Judas as her mother’s partner with little resistance. She is the first to call him “Mr. Cross” at the combined dinner, setting a tone of welcome.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Choosing to leave private school for public school with Deja: This decision aligns Lupe with her friend Yasmen’s daughter and reinforces her identity as someone who values diversity over prestige. It also brings her closer to the Wade family, deepening the Barnes-Wade friendship.

  2. Offering to get a job: By volunteering to work, Lupe temporarily puts her own college prep on hold to help Soledad. Soledad’s refusal forces Lupe to trust her mother’s ability to rebuild, strengthening their bond.

  3. Threatening Inez to be nice at the family dinner: This intervention prevents a scene that could have damaged Soledad’s relationship with Judah. It directly leads to Inez’s sincere apology and the eventual reconciliation between mother and daughter.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Lupe is a living expression of the theme of family loyalty. She holds the family together through her consistent support and refusal to take sides against Soledad. Her willingness to bridge the gap between Inez and Soledad also touches on the theme of healing and second chances.

She also subtly embodies the theme of self-partnering and self-love. While Soledad works on her own “Me List,” Lupe practices self-advocacy by pursuing her academic success. Her A on the history test and her desire to pay for SAT prep show she is investing in her own future—a quiet parallel to Soledad’s self-discovery.

The recipe for Picadillo includes a note to “use ground turkey or a meatless substitute for Lupe,” which may suggest she is vegetarian or has dietary preferences. While this detail is minor, it reflects her individuality within the family and Soledad’s willingness to accommodate it, reinforcing the theme of unconditional love.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Lupe’s role in the focaccia basket business?
Lupe helps with the delivery route alongside her sisters and friends. She does not take a leadership role but contributes labor, showing her solidarity with Soledad’s new entrepreneurial venture.

2. Why does Lupe leave private school?
She chose to attend public school with her best friend Deja Wade, who also left Harrington. Lupe values diversity over prestige, telling her sisters she would trade “world-class facilities” for a school that is “even vaguely diverse.”

3. Does Lupe ever visit her father in prison?
The novel implies she does. In the combined dinner scene, she references that Inez misses their father, but she does not express the same longing. Her loyalty remains with Soledad.

4. How does Lupe react to her mother dating Judah Cross?
She is accepting from the start. She does not align with Inez’s resentment and even threatens Inez to ensure she behaves at the dinner. Her greeting “Hey, Mr. Cross” shows she is ready to welcome him into the family.

5. What does Lupe want to do after high school?
She is preparing for college, taking SAT prep classes, and maintaining good grades. Her ambition is academic, and she is willing to work part-time to help cover costs, though Soledad encourages her to focus on school first.

For more on the novel’s end, see the ending explained or browse questions and answers.