Michael Mulvaney
The patriarch of the Mulvaney family who struggles to reckon with his own traumatic knowledge of his daughter's rape (since he knows the family whose son committed the act). He also must parse his anger against his daughter for her partying and drinking, but ultimately the emotional riddles are so intense and complex that he resorts to full-blown alcoholism instead of guiding his family through the healing process.
Michael Mulvaney Sr. is a well respected and admired member of his community in Mt. Ephraim. He runs his own business, Mulvaney Roofing, while maintaining his property and family of four children at High Point Farm, just outside the city. Michael is obsessive about his reputation, however, and he spend years trying to become part of the exclusive and pricey Mt. Ephraim Country Club. The love and admiration of his family is never quite enough for Michael. When his only daughter Marianne is raped, Michael feels the burden that the town gossip is placing upon his reputation, and his obsession and pride lead him to drinking and violence. He assaults the boy who raped Marianne, and he hires lawyer after lawyer in an attempt to have the boy punished. However, Michael does this for himself and his reputation, not for Marianne, who does not wish to press charges. After another explosive episode where he assaults a man in the country club, Michael again begins hiring excessive legal help and putting his family in debt in an attempt to get justice for himself. Michael rejects his daughter and refuses to see her again until he is on his deathbed and can hardly recognize her.
Corinne "Whistle" Mulvaney
A skilled mother, in way over her head. She is a brilliant homemaker and an optimist at heart, and it's largely her character and humor that made the Mulvaney family into the model family that they are. Nevertheless, faced with the facts of her daughter's rape, she realizes that the family is being pulled apart.
Corinne Mulvaney is an eccentric and energetic mother who is described as having the ability to be beautiful if she were only to try. She has carrot colored frizzy hair, and often wears her husband's old clothes about town. She runs an antique business out of her barn where she restores old and worn furniture, art, and any other items she sees potential in. Corinne is deeply religious, and this religious dedication connects her to her daughter Marianne, who is the only other Mulvaney to share these beliefs. Corinne admires her daughter to such a degree that she often asks God what she has done to deserve such a perfect child, and she even acknowledges she is quite jealous of Marianne. However, Corinne can be careless and uninvolved, and the night Marianne is raped, she has no clue where Marianne is or who she is with. When Corinne realizes the turmoil within her husband as he deals with the rape, Corinne chooses to send Marianne away to a distant relative rather than repairing their family relationships, and Marianne is not even allowed home for holidays. Despite the abuse she suffers at the hands of her husband, Corinne never leaves him.
Marianne "Button" Mulvaney
An American sweetheart whose teenage fun leaves her too drunk at a high school party. By absolutely no fault of her own, she is raped by a hostile sociopath. This sexual violence leaves Marianne in a whirlwind of trauma, regret, and fear. She refuses to take the issue to the authorities, perhaps because she is experiencing shame, or perhaps she knows what it would be like to try and prove that it really happened, and she declines. She struggles to find peace in her life and wanders from place to place, having been rejected by her father.
Marianne Mulvaney is the pride of her family. She is a cheerleader, and she is very popular both in her high school and her community. Marianne has a bubbly personality and is kind to everyone she meets. As a deeply religious and devoted member of her church, Marianne has been given a reputation for being one of the “good girls” and is often described as being pure and innocent. At a party after the prom, Marianne accepts a drink from a senior named Zachary Lundt, and once she is too incoherent to refuse, he drives her to an empty parking lot where he physically abuses and rapes her. Afterwards, Marianne tries to deal with the rape by herself, being ashamed of the condition she was in at the party. Her family only discovers what has happened after an emotional outburst leads her mother to take her to the doctor, who examines the damage done to her body. She refuses to testify against Zachary, because she knows she was too drunk at the party to remember all details, and she does not want to bear false witness. Her religious beliefs help her forgive Zachary and her family after she is turned away, but her inability to reconcile with herself leads Marianne to run from responsibility and love for fear of disappointing people she loves again. She remains deeply caring for her family and never harbors anger against them.
The brothers
These brothers remember Marianne from her youth. They know her as their sister and friend, and watching their father fall apart leads each of the boys to leave their home and go on their own pilgrimages toward peace. One of the brothers attempts to murder Marianne's assailant.
Zachary Lundt
A spoiled upperclassman with a successful father. This high school senior found Marianne, an underclassmen, and upon discovering that she is too drunk to defend herself, he rapes her. This hostile, misanthropic predator gets off free of consequences until he is violently murdered by one of Marianne's brothers.
Zachary Lundt is a wealthy upperclassman with a father who is successful and reputable in their community. After giving Marianne a drink that leaves her too incoherent to refuse, Zachary takes Marianne to an empty parking lot where he rapes her. After taking advantage of Marianne, Zachary brags about his accomplishment of having taken down one of the seemingly flawless Mulvaneys, and he receives no punishment (other than a violent assault from Mr. Mulvaney Sr.) until Patrick Mulvaney attempts to murder him. However, Zachary is allowed to live, and he never tells of what Patrick did the night Zachary was almost killed.
Michael "Mule" Mulvaney
Michael Mulvaney Jr. is well-known throughout his community for his participation and success with the Mt. Ephraim High School football team. His physical abilities are a deep part of his character, as he is also emotionally and mentally strong. He has a strong connection with his siblings, especially Judd, the youngest of the Mulvaneys. When Marianne is raped and sent away, Michael leaves home and moves to Mt. Ephraim where he works for his father at Mulvaney Roofing. He remains distant from his family and the negativity associated with them and he joins the Marines.
Patrick "Pinch" Mulvaney
Patrick is calculating, intelligent, and rational. He strongly disagrees with his mother's views on religion, because he believes that everything can be explained scientifically. He receives a scholarship to study at the prestigious Cornell University, and he remains distant from his family after leaving because he holds resentment against them for their treatment of Marianne. Since Marianne's own university isn't far away, Patrick arranges for her to visit and is shocked by the condition her traumas and abuse have left her in. He becomes more and more restless and finally comes to the conclusion that he can not be content until justice has been served for his sister. His character devolves from being rational and contemplative to being obsessive and violent, and he plans out the murder of Marianne's rapist. However, as he watches the criminal drown, he cannot follow through with his plan and he helps him out, letting him know he has been given the mercy of living. After these events, Patrick disappears to travel the world despite just having been accepted into Cornell's PhD program and being just weeks away from graduating.
Judson "Judd" Mulvaney
Judd Mulvaney is the baby of his family, and is therefore often overlooked and neglected. However, as the narrator, his position in the family allows him to observe the other character from a personal and involved standpoint. Throughout the novel, Judd struggles with the challenge of filling the shoes that have been set before him as a member of the reputable Mulvaney family. Judd struggles to determine who he is and what his place in the family is. After his sister is raped, Judd does not wholly understand what has happened, but as his siblings leave home, he is left to defend his mother from his father's abuse. When Patrick decides he must serve justice to Marianne's rapist, he calls Judd and asks for his help in obtaining a weapon to kidnap and threaten Zachary with, and Judd immediately agrees. After talking with Patrick about being an accomplice to murder, Judd feels that he finally knows what it is like to have a brother.
