Lucy is a successful novelist living in New York City who grew up in extreme poverty in Amgash, Illinois. Her recently published memoir serves as an inspiration and guide for others in her hometown. Though she maintains a public image of having conquered her childhood trauma, she struggles to directly confront her painful past when visiting her siblings.

Pete is a quiet, diminutive man who lives a humble and lonely life in his childhood home in Amgash. He experienced severe poverty and abuse as a child but maintains a kind and gentle disposition. He seeks to connect with others and looks forward to visits with his neighbors, trying his best to be a peacemaker in his family.

Patty is a high school guidance counselor in Amgash dealing with the fallout of a recently failed marriage and the lingering shame of her mother's public affair. She struggles with her weight and internalizes the gossip of her small town. Searching for self-worth, she finds comfort in reading about others who have overcome their difficult pasts.

Mary is a seventy-eight-year-old woman who surprised her family by leaving her husband of fifty-one years to move to Italy and marry a much younger man. Raised in Mississippi, she endured a difficult marriage and serious health problems before deciding to focus on her own happiness. She embraces her present life with a positive attitude while missing aspects of her past.

Angelina is a social studies teacher who stayed in Amgash and fixates heavily on her parents' divorce. Her obsession with her mother's move to Italy puts significant strain on her own marriage. She struggles to accept life's unpredictable nature and harbors resentment over feeling abandoned by her mother's pursuit of happiness.

Charlie is a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from severe trauma and struggles to express affection to his family. His inability to cope with his past leads to a stale marriage and destructive behavior. He understands that feeling his emotional pain is a necessary step toward healing and tries to process his emotions in isolation.

Abel is the owner of a successful air-conditioning business in Chicago who escaped deep childhood poverty in Amgash. Married into a wealthy family, he feels lingering guilt over his success but remains grounded in his love for his children and grandchildren. He maintains a patient, compassionate demeanor and a strong work ethic.

Dottie is Abel's sister, who runs a bed-and-breakfast after surviving extreme childhood poverty in Amgash. She now lives with financial security and empathy for her diverse guests. She refuses to internalize other people's judgments about her age and single status, drawing strength from the hardships she has already overcome.

Tommy is a former farmer who lost his land to a devastating fire and now works as a school janitor in Amgash. He views the loss of his farm as a spiritual sign to appreciate his family and lives a humble, contented life. He serves as a compassionate neighbor who believes in the inherent goodness of his community.

Vicky is Lucy and Pete's sister who stayed in Amgash and works a demanding job at a local nursing home. She harbors resentment toward her famous sister for escaping their upbringing and never returning to support them. Despite her struggles, she finds moments of pride in her work and fiercely advocates for her daughter.

Linda is Patty's sister, who moved away from Amgash to a wealthy Chicago suburb. She lives in a modern house with her husband but tolerates an open marriage marked by his troubling behavior toward other women. Her passive acceptance of her domestic situation fractures her relationship with her adult daughter.

Jay is Linda's husband, who resides in a wealthy suburb outside Chicago. He engages in relationships with other women and monitors his property's guest house through live security footage, creating a deeply uncomfortable environment for visitors.

Annie is a successful stage actress who left her rural hometown at sixteen to build a career. She returns home to help her siblings manage the fallout of a family scandal involving their father. Her profession gives her a deep capacity for empathy and the ability to view her parents' flaws with compassion.

Elgin is Annie's strict but loving father, who has developed dementia and faces expulsion from his care facility due to his behavior toward the staff. He spent years hiding a significant portion of his private life from his family in their rural hometown.

Shelly is the wife of a physician who stays at Dottie Blaine's bed-and-breakfast while her husband attends a conference. She shares a long, tearful story about feeling slighted by an actress friend, completely unaware of her own privilege and lack of empathy for those outside her social class.

Tracy is a sex worker whom Charlie Macauley meets after attending veteran therapy sessions. She begins a relationship with Charlie, leading to significant financial requests to support her struggling son.

Yvonne is a single and accomplished photographer visiting Linda and Jay's town for a prestigious art fair. She stays in their guest house and quickly senses something deeply uncomfortable about her hosts, choosing to spend as much time away from the property as possible.

Lila is Vicky's teenage daughter, who earns good grades but presents a tough exterior with tattoos and foul language. She interacts with her high school guidance counselor, slowly revealing the vulnerability beneath her abrasive attitude.