Raised in the same village as Jonnie Goodboy Tyler near Denver, Colorado, Pattie is a budding copy of her older sister, Chrissie, with corn-silk hair and large black eyes.

Following her sister out of their village in search of Jonnie, Pattie is captured with Chrissie and imprisoned in a cage by the Psychlo alien Terl. They are both merely tools to be used as leverage against Jonnie so he will obey orders.

She is subjected to conditions no eight-year-old should have to suffer through, but she survives.