Thomas is a 20-year-old traditional shrimp fisherman, or "shanker," living in the coastal town of Longferry. Bound to a dying, physically exhausting trade inherited from his grandfather, he feels isolated and prematurely aged by the labor. Beneath his rough working-class exterior, he hides a gentle temperament and a secret passion for playing the guitar and writing folk music.

Ma is Thomas's 36-year-old mother, a pragmatic and resilient woman who manages the family's meager finances and perpetual debt. Shunned by parts of the community for having a child out of wedlock at sixteen, she relies heavily on Thomas to provide for their survival. She views intellectual and creative pursuits with suspicion, prioritizing hard work and stability above all else.

Mr. Edgar Acheson is an American film producer and director who has recently arrived in Longferry. He hires Thomas to show him local sights for a movie he claims to be shooting about a coastal town. Charismatic but prone to erratic behavior and severe mood swings, his absolute devotion to his artistic vision introduces Thomas to the idea of a life guided by creative freedom.

Joan Wyeth is the pretty, kind-hearted older sister of Thomas's best friend. She works as a teller at the Longferry bank. Friendly and naturally supportive, she represents a sense of normal, happy connection that Thomas desperately longs for but feels too shy to pursue openly.

Mildred Acs is an orderly and conscientious woman from Borehamwood, England. As a devoted but exhausted parent, she frequently steps in to manage her son's complicated personal and professional affairs, demonstrating both a loving nature and a firm limit to her patience.

Pop is Thomas's deceased maternal grandfather, a traditional shrimp fisherman who taught Thomas the difficult shanker trade. A stern, practical man, he harbored a deep bitterness toward intellectual daydreaming, preferring the tangible reality of hard physical labor. Despite his gruff exterior, he stepped up to raise Thomas and protect his daughter from social ruin.

Harry Wyeth is Thomas's best friend in Longferry. He is an approachable local who owns musical equipment, including a guitar and a tape recorder, which inadvertently helps fuel Thomas's secret musical ambitions.

Patrick Weir was a history teacher in Longferry who died in World War II. He is a controversial figure in the Flett family due to his past relationship with a teenage student. To Thomas, who never met him, Patrick exists as a mysterious historical figure and a canvas for his own questions about identity, intellect, and inherited traits.