Sariah Carnie is a deuteragonist whose journey of self-discovery runs parallel to Evelyn’s and to another local, Alison Blake’s. As the manager of the Warburn Spa, she presents a polished, efficient, and unflappable exterior. This persona is a carefully constructed defense mechanism designed to conceal a past she perceives as poor and grubby and to protect her from the emotional wounds inflicted by her family. Her inner turmoil is revealed through her nervous habit of worrying at a patch of skin behind her ear. Sariah is driven by a fierce determination to prove her worth and overcome the low expectations set by her mother, Grace, who always made her feel like a burden. This ambition has made her successful but has also left her feeling disconnected and emotionally guarded.

The museum campaign forces Sariah to confront the very past she has tried to outrun when she recognizes her grandmother’s cracked teacup in Evelyn’s museum. Initially, she tries to suppress the object’s history by omitting it from the museum website, but her mother’s subsequent appearance makes this impossible. This event initiates a painful but necessary reconciliation that unravels The Cost of Family Secrets. Sariah learns that Grace is her adoptive mother and that her biological mother is her aunt, Rose, who was forced to give up her baby as a teenager. This revelation re-frames Sariah’s entire understanding of her childhood and allows her to see the harsh, resentful Grace she recalls instead as a young woman who also struggled under the weight of a difficult family situation. This newfound empathy allows Sariah to begin mending her relationships with both her mothers.

Sariah’s development is marked by her growing ability to be vulnerable and to integrate her past with her present. She moves from a place of anger and shame to one of understanding and acceptance. By the novel’s end, she makes the significant choice to leave her high-status but unfulfilling job at the hotel to partner with Della in opening The Cake Shed. This career change, fueled by her grandmother’s treasured recipe book, symbolizes her embrace of her family heritage on her own terms. She becomes a central figure in the theme of Forging Found Communities, transitioning from a guarded loner to a supportive friend who helps both Evelyn and Alison navigate their own crises.

Alison Blake is a tritagonist whose story provides an examination of coercive control and the difficult path to empowerment. Initially, she appears to be a bright, capable, and cheerful young mother, using her professional PR skills to organize the “Save Our Museum” campaign. However, this sunny disposition is a mask for the fear and anxiety she endures in her relationship with her abusive partner, Roy. Her life is a carefully managed performance designed to avoid triggering Roy’s anger. She is isolated, walking on eggshells in her own home and hiding the truth even from her supportive father, Keith. Alison’s story illustrates how domestic abuse is both physical and psychological, with Roy controlling her access to her phone, her friends, and her time, slowly eroding her confidence and autonomy.

The museum committee becomes an essential lifeline for Alison, offering her a sense of purpose and connection outside her oppressive domestic sphere. Her involvement in the campaign, particularly her collaboration with Jacob, provides a glimpse of a different, healthier way of life and gives her the external validation she needs. The focus on her arc highlights how crucial familial and communal support are in escaping abusive environments. The turning point comes after Roy’s violent outburst at a museum exhibition, which exposes his behavior and solidifies the danger she is in. Later, her friends Sariah and Jacob come to her house and provide the critical support she needs to leave, while her father offers a safe refuge for her and her son, Will. Like Evelyn, she begins a process of Reclaiming Female Autonomy, refusing to blame herself for how men have treated her.

Alison’s development into an independent, active character is marked by how she begins rebuilding her life after leaving Roy. She methodically documents Roy’s abuse, confronts him to retrieve her car keys, and establishes firm boundaries to protect herself and Will. By the end of the novel, she has secured her freedom and begun to build a new future. She turns down the offer to return to her old PR job, choosing instead to forge a new role for herself at the museum alongside Jacob. This choice signifies her desire to do meaningful work within the community that helped save her. Her story is proof of the courage it takes to leave an abusive relationship and the essential importance of the supportive networks that make such an escape possible.

Della Dayvon is a catalyst for the novel’s main plot and a central figure in the theme of Forging Found Communities. As the proprietor of the ice cream parlor next to the museum, her eccentric and outgoing personality contrasts Evelyn’s reclusive nature. Her garish clothing, ever-changing hair color, and questionable culinary experiments like “mint and burdock” ice cream signal a deliberate rejection of conformity. Della receives the council’s letter and immediately galvanizes Evelyn into action, effectively initiating the “Save Our Museum” campaign. Her optimism and energy are the driving force that brings the disparate group of characters together.

Della is a round but largely static character, as her primary transformation occurred before the novel’s beginning. The revelation that she is a former high-profile Australian TV presenter who suffered a breakdown adds significant depth to her character and contributes to the overarching message that all objects and people have hidden depths. Her move to Portheast and her unconventional life choices are a conscious effort to build a “second chance” for herself, free from the pressures that led to her burnout. This backstory makes her a more complex figure, one who understands the need for reinvention and is therefore uniquely positioned to help Evelyn do the same. Despite her initial attempts to hide her formidable media skills, she ultimately uses her expertise to orchestrate a successful PR campaign to save the sheds, proving instrumental in the fight against the council.

Jacob Warburn is a supporting character and a gentle, stabilizing presence within the museum committee. As the grandson of the powerful Sir Jasper Warburn, he is burdened by his family’s complicated legacy in Portheast as employers and landowners, a name associated with both the town’s economic stability and aristocratic control. Jacob, however, is unassuming and kind, working a low-wage job at the newsagents and living in a modest bedsit. He is in Portheast to recover from a broken heart and a derailed university career, and his involvement in the museum campaign provides him with a much-needed sense of purpose and belonging. He shows a break from the patriarchal entitlement of his father and grandfather, choosing instead to contribute positively to the community.

Jacob’s role is primarily one of support, particularly for Evelyn and Alison. His childhood memories of the museum provide an early thread of connection, and his steady, practical help is invaluable to the campaign. Jacob’s father Simon is both literally and emotionally distant, offering money to Jacob but not love or personal support. Jacob’s reaction to learning that Evelyn is his aunt—“this is so cool… we’re family” (291)—is one of pure joy, which emphasizes his compassionate nature and his desire for genuine connection over social status. Upon learning of Evelyn’s parentage, Simon sends letters from Jasper Warburn to Evelyn’s birth mother, Cora-May, providing Evelyn with the final, concrete evidence of their secret relationship. However, both Jacob and Evelyn value their relationship with one another over Simon’s validation, emphasizing his appreciation of his found family. This is further emphasized through his developing relationship with Alison. His gentle, respectful nature contrasts Roy’s aggressive possessiveness, and they end the novel with a budding romance.