Jack McCall – The main character in the novel, Jack, is coping with the recent suicide of his wife, Shyla. A cookbook and travel writer, he flees Waterford to the peaceful life of a Roman Piazza with his daughter Leah. He is the oldest of the five McCall brothers. Jack is the narrator, and to some extent hischaracter flaws and passions make him an unreliable narrator, though he's always an honest one.
Leah McCall – the daughter of Jack McCall and Shyla Fox. There is an ugly custody dispute over Leah involving Jack and Shyla's parents (after her death), but a final letter that Shyla left for Jack proves his adequacy as a parent.
Shyla Fox – Jack's wife, daughter of George and Ruth Fox. Commits suicide by jumping from the Silas Pearlman Bridge.
Dupree McCall – The second oldest of the McCall brothers, Dupree is Jack's younger brother and works in the state mental hospital. His occupation often bears with it the burden of his younger brother, John Hardin, who suffers from schizophrenia.
Dallas McCall – The third oldest of the McCall brothers, he is Jack's younger brother and a law partner with "The Judge" in Waterford.
Tee McCall – The fourth oldest of the McCall brothers, Tee is a teacher for autistic children in Georgetown County.
John Hardin McCall – The youngest of all five McCall brothers, John Hardin suffers from a variety psychological illnesses and often spends time in the city's mental hospital in Waterford.
Martha Fox – Shyla's younger sister.
Ruth Fox – Shyla's mother; Leah's grandmother.
Judge Johnson Hagood McCall – Jack's father and the town's functioning drunk, "The Judge" has been divorced from Jack's mother for years, but he pines after her still.
Lucy McCall – Mother of the five McCall brothers. Suffering from leukemia, Lucy wants to spend her remaining days on the beach, surrounded by her family and the endangered loggerhead sea turtles. It is her illness that summons Jack and Leah out of Italy and back to the states.
Silas McCall – "The Judge's" father; Jack's grandfather.
Jordan Elliot – A close friend of Jack's, he moved to Waterford when the two were in high school. A military brat with a tyrant father, Jordan struggled against authority in his youth. He is caught in a scandal which has motivated him to retreat to/hide in the priesthood in Italy, which is where he and Jack reconnect.
Mike Hess – Another one of Jack's high school friends, Mike is a Hollywood producer. He wants to tell the story of their childhood through a mini-series that he hopes to produce. Having recalled Mike as one of the nicest guys from his youth, Jack recognizes (as does Mike, himself) that Hollywood has changedMike for the worse.
Ledare Ansley – Capers Middleton's ex-wife, Ledare is one of Jack's childhood friends. Beautiful and charming, Ledare becomes more and more important to Jack as the novel progresses.
Capers Middleton – Another friend of Jack's from high school. His father's heritage is known for their aristocracy and political prowess in South Carolina. Capers hopes to run for governor of South Carolina. After back-stabbing Jack in college, he tries to reinstate his friendship with him after Shyla's death.
Max Russoff – Ruth's adopted father; after Ruth went through the Holocaust it was Max "The Great Jew" who rescued her from Poland.
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