48 pages • 1-hour read
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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
A 30-year-old advertising professional from Seattle who takes a temporary leave of absence to run her late mother's inn, the Bird & Breakfast, in Copper Run, Vermont. Reeling from a recent divorce and her mother's death, she feels out of place in the tight-knit rural community. She initially prefers to maintain strict boundaries, treating the inn purely as a temporary obligation until her sister can take over.
Neighbor and friend of Cliff Burke
Older sister of Sara Cadell
Daughter of Birdie Cadell
Daughter of Paulie
Ex-wife of Allen
Owner of Rocket
Neighbor of Emily Burke
Neighbor of Brittany
A 33-year-old single father and owner of Burke's Bakery in Copper Run. A lifelong resident of the small town, he loves his community and values hospitality. He balances raising his two daughters with running his business, maintaining an optimistic and welcoming attitude toward the town's newest resident despite her initial coldness.
Neighbor and friend of Michelle Cadell
Father of Emily Burke
Father of Brittany
Ex-husband of Tracy
Brother of Carol
Friend of George
Friend of Birdie Cadell
Cliff and Tracy's 16-year-old daughter who works a work-study job at the post office. She carries the emotional weight of her parents' teenage pregnancy and her mother's subsequent departure, often feeling overlooked in favor of her younger sister. She seeks independence through her relationship with her older boyfriend.
Daughter of Cliff Burke
Daughter of Tracy
Older sister of Brittany
Girlfriend of Josh
Neighbor of Michelle Cadell
Michelle's 24-year-old younger sister and an art school student. Bubbly and energetic, she shares many of her late mother's outgoing traits and is the intended inheritor of the Bird & Breakfast inn. She relies on Michelle to manage the business temporarily until she finishes her education.
Michelle and Sara's late mother who recently passed away, prompting Michelle's temporary move to Vermont. She was a beloved fixture in the Copper Run community and the creator of the Bird & Breakfast. Her differing relationships with her two daughters cast a long shadow over Michelle's time at the inn.
Cliff's ex-wife and the mother of Emily and Brittany. She left Copper Run a few years prior to start a new, independent life in New York City. She maintains contact through weekly phone calls, though her differing treatment of her two daughters causes friction in the Burke household.
Cliff and Tracy's younger daughter. She receives more warmth and attention from her mother during weekly phone calls than her older sister does, which occasionally causes tension in the family. She spends her afternoons playing in the yard near the inn.
Cliff's sister who co-owns and works at Burke's Bakery. She frequently checks in on her brother's personal life and encourages him to be open to new connections.
Michelle's ex-husband who lives in Seattle. His emotional abuse and infidelity led to their recent divorce, leaving Michelle with lasting insecurities that she struggles to shed in her new environment.
Ex-husband of Michelle Cadell
Former owner of Rocket
Michelle and Sara's father and Birdie's widower. He lives in Seattle and observes Michelle's adjustment to life in Copper Run from a distance.
A teenager who works at the local video store in Copper Run. He dates Emily Burke, which often causes her to skip her own work commitments and draws Cliff's protective ire.
Boyfriend of Emily Burke
Disliked by Cliff Burke
Allen's dog, whom Michelle inherits following her divorce. He accompanies Michelle to Copper Run, where he occasionally causes trouble but gradually adapts to the small-town setting.
A neighbor and friend to Cliff in Copper Run. He is deeply invested in the town's local gossip and the future of the Bird & Breakfast.
George's wife and a resident of Copper Run. She joins her husband in enthusiastically welcoming Michelle, though their constant input initially frustrates the new innkeeper.
Wife of George
Neighbor of Michelle Cadell