The Ghostwriter

Oliva Taylor Dumont is the central protagonist and the primary narrator of the novel. She is characterized as a ghostwriter who lives in Topanga Canyon, California. Olivia is the daughter of legendary horror novelist Vincent Taylor, though they are estranged at the start of the novel due to the emotional abuse Olivia experienced while Vincent was experiencing alcohol and drug addiction.

Olivia is defined by her integrity. Before the start of the novel, Olivia is disgraced after she calls out a fellow writer named John Calder for platforming misogynist criminals. Although Olivia stands up for what she believes in, the world punishes her simply because she lacks the resources that Calder leverages to sue her and put her in debt. This puts Olivia in the position to accept Vincent’s job offer, working on his memoir about the murders of his siblings. Olivia’s apprehension over working with Vincent reflects both her integrity and her personal bias against her father. Olivia doesn’t know if she can work with someone that she knows is capable of the emotional violence he’s caused in her life. She is effectively motivated by the promise of escaping debt. At the same time, Olivia doesn’t know how Vincent’s unhealthy behaviors are coping mechanisms for the traumatic experiences that have haunted him all his life.