| Jamie |
Briggses | Nick and Rocky's son, a junior analyst |
| Nick |
Briggses | Rocky's husband, a physical therapist |
| Rocky |
Briggses | Narrator and protagonist, a writer. Aka: Rachel |
| Willa |
Briggses | Nick and Rocky's daughter |
| Laura |
Ingalls Wilder | Cultural reference, author |
| Bernie |
Madoff | Cultural reference |
| Beth |
March | Literary character reference |
| Marmee |
March | Literary character reference |
| Marilyn |
Monroe | Cultural reference, actress |
| Mort |
Myers | Rocky's father. Aka: Grandpa |
| Sharon |
Olds | One of Rocky's neighbors |
| Mary |
Oliver | Rocky's old acquaintance |
| Philippe |
Petit | Cultural reference |
| Rebecca |
Rubin | Jewish American Girl doll |
| Ebenezer |
Scrooge | Literary character reference |
| Jerry |
Seinfeld | Comedian and cultural reference |
| Christine |
Zapf | Miles Zapf's mother |
| Miles |
Zapf | Jamie's former classmate who was killed in an accident |
| Amelia |
| Jo and Davey's daughter |
| Angie |
| One of Rocky's kittens |
| Athena |
| One of the people at Miles's funeral |
| Big Chungus |
| One of Rocky's cats |
| Chicken |
| The older cat |
| Coily |
| Willa's little spring |
| Davey |
| Jo's husband, a doctor |
| Edith |
| One of Mort's bridge partners |
| Habib |
| One of the people at Miles's funeral |
| Jack |
| One of Willa's friends |
| Jerry |
| Mort's friend |
| Jo |
| Rocky's long-time friend |
| Mark |
| One of the people at Miles's funeral |
| Maya |
| Jamie's girlfriend |
| Robby |
| Health-food store owner, deceased. Aka: Bobby |
| Rodney |
| The plumber. Aka: Rogney |
| Ruby |
| One of Willa's friends |
| Sarah |
| One of the people at Miles's funeral |
| Sunny |
| Willa's friend |
| Wren |
| One of the people at Miles's funeral |
