The Baxters
Heather Baxter—a fairly recently married 20-something who grew up in an artists’ commune on Goose Island, WA (the real Goose Island is uninhabited) and has recently been a massage therapist in Seattle
Dr. Thomas “Tom” Baxter—Heather’s fairly new 44-year-old husband, an orthopedic surgeon in Seattle, WA; father of Olivia and Owen
Olivia Baxter—Tom’s 14-year-old daughter
Owen Baxter—Tom’s 12-year-old son
Judith Baxter—Tom’s first wife (a biologist with a PhD); she was from a wealthy family and died in mysterious circumstances
The O’Neills
Ma O’Neill—the matriarch of Dutch Island, Australia
Terry O’Neill—Ma’s deceased husband
Matt Watson—married to Tara O’Neill, Ma’s second-youngest child; she has left the island (she doesn’t appear in the book)
Jacko—unclear whether he’s Matt’s brother or one of Ma’s sons
Ivan O’Neill—one of Ma’s sons; runs the small ferry that runs between Dutch Island and the mainland
Kate O’Neill—Ma’s youngest daughter
Brian O’Neill—another of Ma’s sons
Danny O’Neill—Ma’s youngest son; married to Ellen
Ellen O’Neill—the deaf girl on the bicycle whom the Baxters crash into and kill
Ned—runs food stand on the mainland and is an unexplained part of the family
Jamie—unexplained part of the family
Janey—unexplained part of the family
Lenny—the O’Neill’s blacksmith; unclear if he’s part of the family
Niamh—one of the children on Dutch Island
Freddie—one of the young boys on Dutch Island (his name is only mentioned once, but perhaps he’s “the boy” who seems to accompany Ivan in searching for the Baxters)
Gillian—a former nurse who tends to Tom Baxter’s wounds; unclear if she’s an O’Neill
Friends and Others
Carolyn Moore—Heather Baxter’s long-time friend from Goose Island
Ray—an Aboriginal man the Baxters encounter near Alice Springs; he trades a penknife he’s made for Heather Baxter’s earrings; the penknife becomes important
Chloe—Ray’s wife
Nikko—Ray’s granddaughter
Jenny Brook—conference representative assigned to Tom Baxter in Melbourne
Hans—a retired auto engineer from Leiden, Netherlands; he and Petra tag along with the Baxters to see wildlife on Dutch Island
Petra—a retired sociologist, wife of Hans
Rory—a retired Irish policeman who was once employed by the now-abandoned prison on Dutch Island; he lives there with permission of the O’Neills
