Sam Pickles
Sam is the patriarch of his family. He purchases the house on Cloudstreet. A superstitious man, Sam feels premonitions in the tingling of the stump where his left hand used to be right before awful things occurs. Firmly believing in the power of fortune and it's influenceable nature, he starts to realize that the Lambs are having such success with their store because they are antically changing their luck somehow. After trying his hand at changing his fortune, he soon realizes that some forces are not meant for human interference. He instead devotes his time to reconciling with his wife who has been having an affair with Lester Lamb. In the end Sam believes the house is worth holding onto and does his best to bring the two families into harmony.
Dolly Pickles
Dolly feels ignored by her husband. She doesn't feel comfortable in the house and tries to leave at every opportunity. When the Lambs become somewhat wealthy from their store, she starts to feel attraction for Lester. Eventually they have an affair, but she repents and makes it right with her husband.
Rose Pickles
Rose has a close relationship with her father. As a result of her great intelligence, she often feels lonely within her family, especially when Sam is away. She plays an important role in her family, often yielding more influence than her mother. As a teenager, she's bulimic. She really feels the pressure of her position in the family's success. When she marries Quick, she instantly becomes happier. They move away for a little while, but she misses her family too much and they return.
Ted and Chub Pickles
Ted and Chub are Rose's brothers. Neither of them are especially bright. They don't concern themselves with the affairs of the rest of the family, preferring their own company.
Lester Lamb
Lester is the proud head of his household. In order to make ends meet, he convinces his family to open their store on the first floor. He practices some rituals to improve his fortune which seem to work. The consequence of his actions are to make Sam jealous of his success. To make matters worse, he starts an affair with Dolly which upset both spouses. At the end of the book, he finds the relief he's been searching for in religion. He starts attending church regularly.
Oriel Lamb
She's an extremely jealous woman. From day one she despises Dolly. The rift between them magnifies so much that Oriel starts sleeping in a tent in the backyard. She loses her mind when she learns of the affair. Eventually she turns her attention to the children, however. After Rose and Quick's marriage she makes amends with Dolly. The two households live in peace once the matriarchs cease fighting.
Hattie, Elaine, and Red Lamb
The Lamb daughters remain in the background most of the time. They're demure girls who do what they're told. Mostly they work the store because they have excellent communication skills.
Lon Lamb
Lon is an impetuous kid who feels neglected because he's the youngest. He starts acting up to get attention. After getting his girlfriend pregnant, he marries her. His mother is so disappointed in him that the two of them engage in violent fights.
Fish Lamb
At the beginning of the book, Fish nearly drowns but is rescued by his mother. He feels inexplicably drawn to water forever after that, often expressing a desire to have drown that day. He suffers from depression it seems and is often suicidal. As a sensitive child, he sees things which the others do not. For example he can see and hear ghosts in the house. It seems like misfortune follows him wherever he goes until he finally drowns himself in the river. He may or may not be crazy.
Quick Lamb
Quick is the most practical of his family. He starts a relationship with Rose because he believes good relations between their families will ultimately benefit all of them. He soon falls in love with Rose and marries her. He's man of action who learns about the history of the house on Cloudstreet. With this information, he approaches the mysterious black man who lurks about the grounds. Finally he is the one to catch the murderer and restore peace to the house. Somehow he realizes that he has been demonizing people. The people aren't awful, but he's been viewing them all wrong.
