Lucy Gault
The title character, this young girl is an Irish girl who simply loves her house on the coast, overlooking the ocean. When political strife forces the family out, her parents neglect to explain things to her, and she decides to hide from them, not understanding the severity of the situation.
Then Lucy is raised by the servants of the house until her adulthood. She is essentially a self-made orphan, but not on purpose, and her life quickly turns into a desperate search for love, meaning, and joy, having been given such a lonely, painful life.
Captain Gault
This loyalist Protestant is on the wrong side of the Irish War of Independence. Because most Irish folks are Catholic, and because most of them have harsh feelings toward Britain, Captain Gault suddenly becomes an enemy of his own people, by no fault of his own. He escapes with his life when he has the chance, but unfortunately, Lucy is left behind.
The servants
There are servants in the house of Captain Gault, and when he absconds from his post because of the threat of violence, these servants raise Lucy. The servants help her to have what she needs, but they are not family.
Ralph
Ralph is Lucy's would-be lover who attempts to attract her, but fails. She says that although Ralph is wonderful, she feels that her childhood was so traumatic that unless and until she can find peace with her parents, she simply cannot offer romantic love. Ralph wants the best for Lucy.
The boy who was shot
This unlikely character appears in the denouement when Lucy and he bond over their shared trauma. Lucy's father actually shot this boy and is responsible for his illness and mental health issues, so it's restorative for both of them to have their visits together. The boy gives her closure.
