| David |
Abramson | Lucy's second husband |
| Lucy |
Barton | Protagonist, narrator, novelist. Aka: Button |
| Richard |
Baxter | A parasitologist |
| Bob |
Burgess | Pam's ex-husband |
| Jim |
Burgess | Bob's brother, public defender |
| Pam |
Carlson | One of William's former wives |
| Catherine |
Cole | William's mother |
| William |
Gerhardt | Lucy's first husband.Aka: Pillie |
| Estelle |
Gerhardt | William's wife |
| Bridget |
Gerhardt | William and Estelle's daughter |
| Wilhelm |
Gerhardt | William's father |
| Mrs. |
Nash | Lucy's guidance counselor |
| Wally |
Packer | Singer accused of killing his girlfriend |
| Park Avenue |
Robbie | Lucy's friend |
| Marilyn |
Smith | Clyde's second wife |
| Clyde |
Trask | Potato farmer, Catherine's first husband |
| Lois |
Trask | Aka: Lois Bubar, Catherine and Clyde's daughter, William's half-sister |
| Janed |
Welsh Carlyle | Scottish writer. |
| Becka |
| Lucy and William's daughter |
| Chrissy |
| Lucy and William's daughter |
| Joanne |
| William and Lucy's common friend, William's mistress |
| Phyllis |
| The librarian Lucy met |
| Ralph |
| Phyllis's husband |
| Vicky |
| Lucy's sister |
