| Jazz |
Alley | Seattle jazz club and restaurant |
| Iris |
Apfel | American businesswoman and interior designer |
| Johnny |
Appleseed | American folk figure |
| Peter |
Bagge | American cartoonist |
| Mario |
Batali | American chef and writer |
| Herbert |
Bayer | Austrian-American graphic designer and painter |
| L. L. |
Bean | American retail company founded by Leon Leonwood Bean |
| The |
Beatles | Rock band |
| P. G. T. |
Beauregard | Confederate general |
| John |
Berryman | American poet |
| Elizabeth |
Bishop | American poet |
| Louise |
Bourgeois | French-American artist |
| Sister |
Bridget | Eleanor's unhappy childhood teacher |
| Taffy |
Brodesser-Akner | American journalist and writer |
| Gwendolyn |
Brooks | American poet and author |
| James L. |
Brooks | American director and producer |
| Ivan |
Brunetti | Italian-American cartoonist |
| Ted |
Bundy | American serial killer |
| Mariah |
Carey | American singer-songwriter and producer |
| Pete |
Carroll | Vonte's coach |
| Neville |
Chamberlain | Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Granny |
Charbonneau | Matriarch of the Charbonneau family |
| Winston |
Churchill | Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom |
| Dan |
Clowes | American cartoonist and graphic novelist |
| Kurt |
Cobain | American musician |
| Sam |
Cohn | American talent agent |
| Anderson |
Cooper | American broadcaster |
| Vonte |
Daggatt | Star football player with a severe wrist injury |
| Lena |
Dunham | American writer and director |
| Bob |
Dylan | American singer-songwriter |
| Renee |
Erickson | Seattle-based chef and restaurateur |
| Barnaby |
Fanning | Wealthy New Orleans cotton and sugar heir. Aka: Bucky |
| Brett |
Favre | Former professional football quarterback |
| Bobby |
Fischer | American chess grandmaster |
| Eleanor |
Flood | Former animation director and aspiring graphic novelist; protagonist |
| Matthew |
Flood | Man who died of liver failure |
| Robert |
Frost | American poet |
| Mahatma |
Gandhi | Indian freedom fighter |
| Jerry |
Garcia | American musician |
| Allen |
Ginsberg | American poet and writer |
| Milton |
Glaser | American graphic designer |
| Andy |
Goldsworthy | English sculptor and photographer |
| Alex |
Grey | American visual artist and author |
| Matt |
Groening | American cartoonist and animator |
| Bryant |
Gumbel | American journalist and sports commentator |
| Greg |
Gumbel | American sports commentator |
| William Henry |
Harrison | 9th U.S. President |
| Langston |
Hughes | American poet and social activist |
| Laura |
Ingalls Wilder | American writer and teacher |
| Thomas |
Jefferson | 3rd U.S. President |
| Ken |
Jennings | American game show host |
| Penn |
Jillette | American magician and actor |
| Camryn |
Karis-Sconyers | Editor at Burton Hill |
| Pansy |
Kingman | Refers to Pansy Johnson, Navajo silversmith |
| Dr. |
Koo | Eleanor's doctor |
| Michael |
Landon | American actor and filmmaker |
| Frances |
Lear | American activist |
| Lester |
Lewis | Eleanor's acquaintance |
| Robert |
Lowell | American poet |
| Sydney |
Madsen | Prominent friend of Eleanor Flood |
| Mr. |
Magoo | Fictional cartoon character |
| Neiman |
Marcus | American department store chain |
| Mary |
Marge | Eleanor's acquaintance |
| Bob |
Marley | Jamaican singer-songwriter and guitarist |
| Spencer |
Martell | Former colleague of Eleanor Flood |
| Joe |
Matt | American cartoonist |
| Peter |
Max | American artist |
| Todd |
McFarlane | President of Image Comics |
| Draw |
McGraw | Cartoon character |
| Tara |
McPherson | American contemporary artist and illustrator |
| Bette |
Midler | American actress and comedian |
| Van |
Morrison | Northern Irish singer-songwriter |
| Nicholas |
Nixon | American photographer |
| Robert |
Palmer | English singer-songwriter |
| Gwyneth |
Paltrow | American actress and businesswoman |
| David |
Parry | Rock-and-roll manager; Violet's husband |
| Violet |
Parry | Writer |
| Viktor |
Pasternak | Russian oligarch |
| Pope John |
Paul II | Former head of the Catholic Church |
| Matthew C. |
Perry | United States Navy officer |
| Elvis |
Presley | American singer and actor |
| Joyce |
Primm | Editor who discovered and encouraged Eleanor's artistic talent |
| Dr. Luis |
Rogoway | Surgeon famous for operating on European soccer stars |
| Dr. |
Saba | Pediatrician |
| Jim |
Salter | American novelist and short-story writer |
| Richard |
Scarry | American author and illustrator |
| Richard |
Serra | American artist |
| William |
Shakespeare | English playwright and poet |
| Sheridan |
Smith | Eleanor's agent |
| Stephen |
Sondheim | American composer and lyricist |
| Isabella |
Stewart Gardner | American art collector and philanthropist |
| Bill |
Stirling | Military personnel |
| Elaine |
Stritch | American actress and singer |
| Adrian |
Tomine | American cartoonist |
| Charlie |
Trotter | American chef and restaurateur |
| John |
Tyler | 10th U.S. President |
| Tess |
Tyler | Movie character |
| Piper |
Veal | Timby's classmate |
| Queen |
Victoria | Former Queen of the United Kingdom |
| Joe |
Wallace | Successful hand surgeon in Seattle |
| Walt |
Whitman | American poet and essayist |
| Robert |
Williams | American basketball player |
| Jack |
Wolgin | Developer, banker, and philanthropist |
| Alonzo |
Wrenn | Eleanor Flood's kind professor and poetry tutor |
| Allan |
| Friend of Eleanor's mother |
| Archie |
| Eleanor's pet dog |
| Asia |
| One of Vonte's daughters |
| Chrissy |
| Vonte's wife |
| Dennis |
| Eleanor's friend and neighbor |
| Gaston |
| Fictional character |
| Gigi |
| Friend of Eleanor's mother |
| Gordy |
| Vonte's trainer |
| Gwen |
| Head of the school |
| Hailey |
| Alonzo's wife |
| Ivy |
| Eleanor Flood's sister |
| Jimmy |
| Man in a wheelchair with a tall safety flag |
| Lester |
| Meticulous draftsman |
| Lila |
| Worked at Timby's school |
| Lorraine |
| Bucky's second cousin |
| Luz |
| Receptionist |
| Macklemore |
| American rapper |
| Merrill |
| Eleanor's friend |
| Michaela |
| One of Vonte's daughters |
| Olivia |
| Eleanor's mother |
| Quentin |
| Figure from Eleanor's past |
| Ruthie |
| Office manager |
| Simon |
| Seahawks chaplain |
| Stesha |
| Afterschool coordinator |
| Timby |
| Eleanor and Joe's son |
| Vanessa |
| One of Vonte's daughters |
| Vivian |
| Eleanor's new acquaintance |
| Yo-Yo |
| Joe's family pet |
