(soft instrumental music) - [Narrator] We must start at the beginning.

- July's story is told retrospectively through old July, and she shares with us her mischief, her pain, and her victory.

I think she's in her teenage years when we meet her, and she's on the cusp of discovering, I guess, sexuality as well with Nimrod.

- Morning Mr. Nimrod.

- And then there's also talk of rebellion, so, she's got all these new ideas about freedom in her mind, she's sort of at the cusp of growing up.

- July, as a character, is a natural rebel but also has an incredible sense of the order because her survival is dependent on her living within this house, because outside of that house is, you know, a horrible life in the field.

- She's got quite a high opinion of herself, to the point that that supersedes her opinion of Caroline.

I think she thinks that Caroline's an idiot and realizes that she's smarter than her and if she were born into the same social status she would far exceed anything that Caroline's achieved.

She's got dignity, she's got grace.

I think all the things that she goes through they harden her in a way that make her realize that when Robert comes, she's got to do whatever she needs to, to be free, as much as freedom can come in that realm.

July is a product of quite a lot of trauma because of loss, like abandonment or being bereft of a parent.

- Yes, yes, I'll take her.

- You know, she's one of these people who, kind of, can't see maybe the extent of what she's experienced, 'cause she's so forward moving.

She's just got it in her to survive.

I love that July just never seems to give up.

She's a survivor.

How can you get knocked that many times and keep going?

It just makes me think there's no excuse, no matter how difficult things can be, people have made it through harder times.

(slow instrumental music)