Beth Teller
Beth is the central character and one of the narrators of the story. At the start of the novel, she dies in a car accident, but her spirit remains tethered to the living world. It is in limbo, unable to move on because of unresolved issues with the community and her father.
Beth's spirit is especially connected to her father, who is unable to let go of his grief but is able to communicate and interact with Beth's spirit. Beth's position in the afterlife is unique; she can see and hear things in the living world but only communicates directly with her dad. She is determined and compassionate and works to uncover the truth behind the mysterious fire at the local children's home. Together, she works with her father to delve into that mystery and to help her father, Michael, work through his grief so that he can attempt to move on with his life.
Michael Teller
Michael Teller is Beth's father and a police detective for the local town's police department. After the death of his daughter, he is overwhelmed with grief. However, he is given a gift: he is able to see and communicate with his daughter's ghost.
Before Beth's death, Michael was a dedicated public servant, unaware of the rampant corruption in the town he devoted his life to serving. His daughter's death caused him to double down on his dedication to work, and the children's home fire case became a way for him to cope with his loss. Ultimately, he uses the investigation (which he conducts with his daughter's spirit) as a way to process and work his way through his grief. He represents the living world's connection to Beth, as he is able to relay her thoughts to the people around him (including Isobel Catching).
Isobel Catching
Isobel Catching is also called the "Catching Crow." She is the other narrator of the novel. When Michael and Beth start investigating the case, they find Catching near the site of the fire. Very quickly thereafter, she becomes a key witness in the case. However, she doesn't speak clearly; she communicates her story through poetic, cryptic verse.
Catching has a tremendous link with the supernatural. The stories she communicates, while oftentimes cryptic, are filled with metaphors that reveal her traumatic experiences (and the deep-seated racism she and other Indigenous people faced). As her connection with Beth grows, the two of them work together to solve the mysteries surrounding the fire and the abuse at the children's home. Ultimately, they discover who did the crime and uncover the conspiracy.
Sergeant Eric Ghilies
Sergeant Eric Ghilies is Michael's superior officer in the police force. Ghilies isn't a sympathetic character; he doesn't understand Michael's grief and rides him hard despite his daughter recently dying. He's a representation of the bureaucratic, unkind, and dismissive attitudes toward Michael's pain and the pain of the Indigenous community, which is prevalent throughout the novel. In many ways, his character is a foil to Michael; he challenges Michael on his journey to uncover the truth.
