Pro | Jimmy | MacCarthy | Irish singer. |
| | | Part l |
1 | Norah | King | A domestic worker. |
| Caroline | Adams Parker | A Boston Brahmin. |
| Mary | Callaman | Norah's friend. |
| Rosemary | King | Norah's daughter. Aka: Ro. |
| Rolf | | Hilda's husband. |
| Hilda | | A housekeeper. |
| Rebecca | Adams | Caroline's mother. |
| Pru | Walker | Rebecca's acquaintance. |
| Mrs. | Finnerty | A laundress. |
| Barbara | Catherine | Norah's daughter. Aka: Kay. |
| Rita Margaret | King | Norah King's seventh child and youngest girl. |
| Eleanor | Brewster | Caroline's neighbor. |
| Zingy | Palowski | A window cleaner. |
| Cordella Anne | Parker | Caroline's daughter. Aka: Cappy. |
| Price | Parker ll | Caroline's husband. |
| Price Irving | Parker lll | Caroline's son. Aka: Pip. |
| Martha | Parker | One of Mr. Parker's aunts. |
| Agatha | Parker | One of Mr. Parker's aunts. |
| Ruth | | A Biblical figure. |
| William | Andrews | British actor. |
| William Henry | O'Connell | American cardinal. |
| John Joseph | King | Norah's husband. Aka: John. |
| Timothy | Matthew | One of Norah's son. aka: Timmy. |
| Thomas |
Augustine | One of Norah's son. Aka: Tommy. |
2 | James Daniel | Kenney | A priest. |
| George | McDonough | Soda pharmacist. Aka: George Mac. |
| James | O'Meara | A Royal Air Force officer. |
| Addie | O'Meara | James' wife. |
| Richard J. | Cushing | An archbishop. |
| Mrs. | Connelly | Father Kenney's acquaintance. |
| Aidan | | Father Kenney's acquaintance. |
| Fiona | Clancy | Aidan's wife. |
| Jake | Mahoney | An officer. |
| Tom | | One of Jake's acquaintances. |
| Dick | | One of Jake's acquaintances. |
| Harry | | One of Jake's acquaintances. |
3 | Frances | Callahan | Mary's husband. Aka: Frank. |
| Bridget | O'Leary | A passionate theater artist. |
| Sally | Keith | A researcher. |
| Mrs. | Nolan | O'Leary's neighbor. |
| Louis | Kolodynski | Mrs. Nolan's acquaintance. |
| Jack | Sweeney | A priest. |
| James | Curley | A politician from Boston. |
| Bridey | Sullivan | Mary's acquaintance. |
| Moira | O'Toole | A worker at the State House. |
| Robert | Donnelly | Johnny King's friend. Aka: Bob. |
| John | Donnelly | A boy who had a cerebral
palsy. Aka: Buddy. |
| Sean | | Robert's best friend. |
| Alice | Crowley | A grocery store owner. |
| Mr. | Gowan | Mrs. Crowley's father. |
| Judith | | Norah's acquaintance. |
| Norah V. | King | Norah's second-to-youngest daughter. Aka: Noni. |
| Mike | | Mrs. McCormick's son. |
| Michael | McCormick | Mrs. McCormick's husband. |
| Mrs. | McCormick | One of the widows. Norah's acquaintance. |
| Nola | Lonergan | Mrs. Sweeney's new tenant. |
| Agnes | Sweeney | Owner of an apartment house. |
| Marion Louise | Callanan | Mary's daughter. Aka: Mar. |
| Mrs. | Riordan | Marion's dance teacher. |
| John Michael |
| Norah's son. Aka: Johnny. |
| Glenn | Miller | American trombonist. |
| Sister Veronita |
| A nun. |
4 | Gerard | Flynn | The landlord. |
| Marie | Flynn | Gerald's wife. |
| Lillian | Gallagher | Norah's acquaintance. |
| Jean | Adair | Father Kenney's housekeeper. |
| Patrick Henry |
| One of Norah's son. Aka: Pat. |
| Joseph |
Frances | Norah's oldest son. Aka: Joe |
5 | Sister |
Josephine | A nun. |
| Francis | Sullivan | Owner of Sully's Junkyard. |
| Carole | Lombard | American film actress. |
| Veronica | Lake | American film, stage, and television actor. |
| Maureen | O'Hara | American-Irish actress. |
| Steve | Chalpin | A Polish young man. |
6 | Frederick | Weatherly | An English lawyer. |
| Peg | Hennessey | Marie Flynn's widowed mother. |
| Morrie | Karp | A businessman. |
| Sam | Ruben | Morrie Karp's acquaintance. |
| Jane | Hayden | Norah's acquaintance. |
| Mickey | Rooney | American actor. |
| Patricia Ann | Sheehan | Rosemary's best friend. Aka: Patsy. |
| Kathryn | Hepburn | American actress. |
| Mrs. | Rosengard | A store owner. |
| Mychal | McNulty | A priest. |
| Ian | | John Joseph's older brother. |
7 | Jane | Austen | A novelist. |
| Sinclair | | Eleanor's husband. |
| Jonathan | | Eleanor's son. |
| Charles | Dickens | An English writer. |
| George | Leland | Cordelia's closest male friend. |
| Abigail Adams | Dubois | Cordelia's friend. Aka: Abby. |
| Tyrone | Power | American film actor. |
| Mrs. | Dubois | Abigail's mother. |
| Dolley | Dubois | One of Abigail's sisters. |
| Martha | Dubois | One of Abigail's sisters. |
| Grace | Dubois | One of Abigail's sisters. |
| Brawny | Spencer Clark | Abigail's friend. |
| Sarah | Armstrong | Cordelia's college roommate. |
| William | Shakespeare | An English poet. |
| Juliet | Capulet | Protagonist in Shakespeare's romantic Romeo and Juliet. |
| Norman Alden | Prescott | Cordelia's crush. |
| Amy | | Norman's cousin. |
| Alice | | Amy's older sister. |
8 | Lefty | Roach | John Michael's friend. |
| Ted | Williams | American professional baseball player. |
| Thomas H. | O'Connor | A professor and university historian of Boston College. |
| Mrs. | Curran | Norah's neighbor. |
| Mr. | Grant | Owner of the department store. |
| Mrs. | Day | Norah's neighbor. |
| Moira | Brennan | A dance teacher. |
| Officer | McCarthy | A police officer. |
| Officer | Palma | A police officer. |
| Harold | Geisler | The truck operator. |
| Mr. | Morris | George Mac's acquaintance. |
9 | Anthony | Williamson | Rosemary's boyfriend. Aka: Tony. |
| Mrs. | Williamson | Tony's mother. |
| Don | Campbell | Tony's friend. |
| James | Sheehan | Don's friend. Aka: Jimmy. |
| Arty | Feeney | Tony's friend. |
| Betty | Boop | Cartoon character. |
| Daniel | Regan | A police officer. Aka: Dan. |
| Colin | Sheehan | Regan's friend. |
| Claire | O'Hara | A musical artist. |
| Mrs. | Campbell | Don's mother. |
| Mr. | Campbell | Don's mother. |
| Richard | | Don's brother. |
| Oliver Wendell | Holmer Sr. | A doctor. |
| Jeff | Atwater | Norman Prescott's friend. |
| Bing | Crosby | American singer. |
10 | Daniel | McCole | Steve's friend. |
11 | Maureen | Dezeel | An author. |
| Mrs. | Ryan | One of Norah's neighbor. |
| Mrs. | Farrell | One of Norah's neighbor. |
| Fiona | Connors | Norah's neighbor. |
| Evelyn | Barry | Norah's acquaintance. |
| Mac | Connors | Fiona's oldest son. |
| Morai | Audley | Norah's grandmother. |
| Maggie | Flaherty | Norah's sponsor in going to America. |
| Madeline | Collins | Alexander's wife. |
| Jonas | Petrukonis | Norah's doctor. |
| Angelina | Mirabella | One of the patients. |
| Judy | Garland | American actress. |
| Bridget | Haggerty | A writer. |
| John T. | Creagh | A Monsignor. |
| John Patrick | Foley | Norah's father. |
| Mary | Flaherty | Norah's dear friend. |
| Rose | Kennedy | Mrs. Collins' friend. |
| Elizabeth | Collins | A teenager who played the piano. |
| John F. | Fitzgerald | Former mayor of Boston. Aka: Honey Fitz. |
13 | Mary E. | Walsh | An author. |
| Olive | Gilmore | Kay's teacher. |
| Mary | Antin | An author. |
| Trudy | | A waitress. |
| Edith | | Trudy's friend. |
| Diane | Early | Sister Veronita's student. |
| Mary Ellen | Dugan | Rita's classmate. |
| Miss | Rooney | A spry elderly woman. |
| Sister Louise |
| A nun. |
| Sister Estelle |
| A nun. |
14 | Mrs. | Sheehan | Patsy's mother. |
| Jeffrey | Prescott | Norman Prescott's father. |
| Charlotte | Prescott | Norman Prescott's mother. |
| Father | Norris | A priest. |
| Lorayne Joyce | Carberry | A Southie native. |
15 | Kate | Wiggin | American author. |
| Francis Xavier | Gorham | The undertaker. |
| Eugenia | Gorham | Francis' wife. |
| Don | Callahan | Mary Callanan's son. |
| Mrs. | Flanagan | Norah's neighbor. |
| Sister Agnes |
| A nun. |
| Seamus M. | Casey | A priest. |
| Francis R. | Burke | A priest. |
| Frank | | A priest. |
16 | Gary | Cooper | American actor. |
| Lou | Gehrig | Baseball first baseman. |
| John | McCormick | Irish tenor. |
| Adolph | Schultz | Rita's employer. Aka: Al |
| Dot | Reardon | A waitress. |
| Sister |
Bernadette | A nun. |
| Sister Eugenia |
| A nun. |
| James Royce | Shannon | American composer. |
17 | Arthur | Giuterman | American writer. |
| Eileen | | Mary Callanan's daughter. |
| Aunt Alice | | Patsy Sheehan's aunt. |
18 | Frank | McCourt | American author. |
| Barney | Welansky | A club owner. |
| Mrs. | Delaney | Norah's neighbor. |
| Anna | Quindlen | American author. |
| Howard | Johnson | American entrepreneur. |
| Sheila | | Mary Callanan's daughter. |
| Patricia | Callanan | Sheila's twin sister. Aka: Pansy. |
| Jean | | Mary Callanan's daughter. |
| Kate | Smith | American singer. |
| Frank | Sinatra | American singer. |
| Loretta | Garvey | Mary Callanan's relative. |
| Doyle | Garvey | Loretta's husband. |
| | | Part ll |
19 | Charles | Harris | American football player. |
| Beatrice | | One of Cordelia's friends. |
| Paul | | One of Cordelia's friends. |
| Judith A. | Bellafaire | An author. |
| Doris | | Cordelia's friend. |
| Clarence | Carter | American artist. |
| Patricia | Vettel-Becker | An author. |
| Mr. | Atkinson | Caroline Parker's
acquaintance. |
20 | Robert | Cutler | American government official. |
| Maurice | Tobin | Irish Catholic mayor. |
| Leverett | Saltonstall | Governor of Massachusetts. Parker's close friends. |
| Betty | Grable | American actress. |
| Lina | | Parker's part-time cook. |
| Winston | Churchill | Former British Prime Minister. |
| Bernice | | A receptionist. |
| Officer | Canavan | A patrolman. |
21 | Christine | Whiting | American author. |
| Monsignor | Shea | A priest. |
| Ethel | McDonough | Robert Donnelly's mother. Aka: Mrs. Mac |
| George Jr. | | Mrs. Mac's son. |
| Jane | | Mrs. Mac's daughter. |
| Dicky | | Mrs. Mac's son. |
| Blackie | | A dog. |
| Peety | | A parakeet. |
| Ethel Louise | Murphy | Mrs. Mac's maiden name. |
| Kate | | One of Mrs. Mac's
acquaintances. |
| Eileen | | One of Mrs. Mac's acquaintances. |
| John Joseph | Donnelly | Mrs. Mac's ex-husband. |
| Robert | Taylor | American film actor. |
| Ruth Ann | | Mrs. Mac's baby girl who passed away. |
| Father | York | A priest. |
| Sister Cecilia |
| A nun. |
| Ruth Ann Marie | Donnelly | Rita's daughter. Aka: Ruth Ann. |
22 | Oscar | Wilde | Irish poet. |
| Bob | Hope | English-American stand-up comedian. |
| Dorothy | Lamour | American actress. |
| Jimmy | Doyle | An usher. |
| Barbara | Keeley | Rita's friend. Aka: Bunny. |
23 | Stanley | Blinstrub | A host at Blinstrub Village Club. |
| Les | Brown | American author. |
| Doris | Day | American actress. |
| Joe | Dombrowski | One who worked at Boston Housing Authority. |
| Peggy | Burke | Mary Callanan's acquaintance. |
| Edna Theresa | O'Halloran | A holier-than-thou woman. |
| Stevie | | Kay's son. |
| Mary | Foley | Norah's sister. |
| Barbara | Adley Foley | Norah's mother. |
| Mrs. | Vanderbilt | An American socialite. |
24 | Peggy | Lee | American singer. |
| Benny | Goodman | American clarinetist. |
| Shirley | Simonson | One of Pip's girl. |
| Lena | Horne | American singer. |
| Charles | Thayers | American diplomat. |
25 | Carleton | Cross | One of Abigail's neighbor. |
| Howard | Ambrose | One of Abigail's neighbor. |
| Edwin | Chandler | Abigail's husband. |
| Edith | Piaf | A French singer. |
| | Ockenga | A Pastor. |
26 | William | Morris | A textile designer. |
| Blythe | | Eleanor's daughter. |
| Ofiicer | Tierny | A detective. |
27 | Henry David | Thoreau | An essayist. |
| David Aaron | Miller | A medical student. |
| Percival | Clark | One of Abigail's employees. Aka: Percy. |
| Alice | Lochrie | One of Abigail's employees. |
| George L. | Perin | A Reverend. |
| Florence | Morton | A long time employee of R. H. Stearns. Aka: Flo. |
| Judge | Morton | Mr. Parker's friend. |
| Richard | Malmgren | A dental student. Aka: Rich. |
| | | Part lll |
28 | John | Egan | Bob's schoolmate. |
| Patrick J. | Loftus | An author. |
| Mr. | Segal | The potato man. |
| Mr. | Green | Rita's acquaintance. |
| Mrs. | Green | Mr. Green's wife. |
| Robert | Donnelly Jr. | Rita's son. Aka: Bobby. |
| Father | Sullivan | A priest. |
| Doctor | Ross | Rita's doctor. |
| Rachel | Maier | A nurse. |
| Elizabeth | Taylor | American-British actress. |
29 | Oliver Wendell | Holmes Sr. | American physician. |
| Angelo | Cassasa | The community leader . |
| Ed | Kane | A police officer. |
| Paul | Revere | American silversmith. |
| Mr. | Finocchi | Owner of a Deli store. |
| Mrs. | Finocchi | Mr. Finnochi's wife. |
| Catherine |
Louise | Rita's daughter. |
| Ginny | O'Day | Rita's neighbor |
| Dan | O'Day | Ginny's husband. |
| Danny | | Ginny's son. |
| Mrs. | Kane | Ed Kane's wife. |
31 | Ian | Whittaker | British set decorator and former actor. |
| Grace | Kelly | Film actress. |
| Stella | Sippi | Flo Morton's mother. |
32 | Henry | Bellaman | American author. |
| Maury | Sylvester | Owner of Pride & Joy Deli. |
| Harriett | Mullins | A waitress. |
| Michael | Miller | David's oldest brother. |
| Beth | Miller | David's sister. |
33 | Judith | Martin | American journalist. Aka:Miss Manners. |
| Catherine | Aloysius | A nun. |
| Barbara | McDermontt | Ruth Ann's classmate. |
| Father | Mulcahy | A priest. |
| Father | Ahern | A priest. |
| Louis | Morrow | A bishop. |
| Donald | Roche | One of Sister Catherine's students. Aka: Donny |
| Judith | Dolan | One of Sister Catherine's students. |
| Francis | Keyes | American author. |
34 | John | Farley | Archbishop of New York. |
| Father | Alphonse | A priest. |
35 | Priscilla | | Norman and Patsy's daughter. |
| Esther | | David's mother. |
| Samuel Ira | Miller | David'd father. |
36 | Ed | Doherty | American football player and coach. |
| | Campesi | A senior officer. |
| Red | Driscoll | An affable bachelor. |
| | Mulvaney | A Sergeant. |
| John E. | Powers | Bob's long-time acquaintance. |
37 | Bob | Emery | College men's ice hockey coach. |
| Tony | Curtis | American film actor. |
| George | Nader | American actor. |
| Julie | Adams | American actress. |
| Sal | Mineo | American film actor. |
| Luigi | Cubello | A lieutenant. Aka: Lew. |
| Denis | | The bartender. |
38 | Robert | McCloskey | American writer. |
| Maury | Lowenstein | A vendor. |
| Sylvia | Lowenstein | Maury's wife. |
39 | William | Murphy | Bob's mother's only brother. Aka: Bill. |
| Blanche | Murphy | A nurse. |
| Frank | Dailey | A patrolman |
| Jean | Dailey | Frank's wife. |
| Walter | | Bob's uncle. |
| Mildred | | Walter's cousin. |
| Ariel | Petersen | Mildred's sister. |
| William | Shakespeare | English poet. |
| Mrs. | Petersen | Ariel's grandparents' neighbor. |
| Mr. | Petersen | Mrs. Petersen's husband. |
| Ed | Petersen | Ariel's husband. |
| Thomas | Cook | An English businessman. |
| Irene | Murphy | William Murphy's wife. |
| Edith | | Ariel's friend. |
| Ava | Gardner | American actress. |
| Roy | Rogers | American singer. |
| Jeff | Chandler | American actor. |
| Virginia | Mayo | American actress. |
| Ward | Bond | American film actor. |
| Debbie | Reynolds | American actress. |
40 | Tip | O'Neill | Former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. |
| Roy | Rogers | American singer. |
| Evelyn | Noonan | Ralph's wife. |
| Shirley | Doyle | American-born French actress. |
| Ralph | Sandowski | Bob's fellow detective. |
| Myrna | | Evelyn's acquaintance. |
| Groucho | Marx | American comedian. |
| Rosemary | Clooney | American singer. |
| Charles | Price | Rita's neighbor. |
41 | Dale | Evans | American actress. |
| Leonard | | Lithuanian manager. |
| Loretta | Young | American actress. |
43 | Glenn | MacDonough | American writer. |
| Victor | Herbert | American composer. |
44 | E. M. | Deck | A reverend. |
| Audrey | Hepburn | British actress. |
| Marlon | Brando | American actor. |
| John | Steinbeck | American author. |
45 | Abraham | Lincoln | 16th U.S. President. |
| Darren | McGavin | American actor. |
| Isabella | Gardner | Leading American art collector. |
| Pat | Connors | Bob and Rita's friend. |
| Bill | Connors | Pat's husband. |
| Mrs. | Maguire | One of Rita's neighbors. |
| Mr. | Rosen | One of Rita's neighbors. |
| Harry | Sweeney | Bob's uncle. |
| Peggy | | Harry's wife. |
| Janet | O'Neil | Ruth Ann's best friend. |
| Vincent | Pasquali | Bobby's friend. |
| Mr. | Pasquali | Vincent's father. |
| Walt | Jennings | A detective. |
| Eddie | Dugan | A police officer. |
| Captain | Riley | A police officer. |
| Mary Alice | Jennings | Walt's wife. |
| Sylvia | Bernstein | Rita's neighbor. |
Epi | Candace | | Norah's great-granddaughter. |
| Father | O'Neill | A priest. |
| Grace | | Catherine's daughter. |