Anna is a widow relishing sudden literary success following the publication of her book, *The Afterword*. Though she currently presents herself as an affluent, grieving wife from the West Coast, she actually grew up as Dianna Parker in West Rutland, Vermont. She carries dark secrets about her family history and lives in constant fear that her hidden past will surface and destroy her carefully curated public image.

Jake is a formerly struggling writing professor whose career skyrocketed after he published *Crib*, a story he adapted from the ideas of his late student, Evan. Following his sudden death, his literary legacy provides his widow with immense financial security, ongoing royalties, and an entry point into elite New York publishing circles.

Evan is Anna's late brother and the heavily favored child of their parents in Vermont. Despite a history of entitlement and poor academic performance, he eventually attended an MFA program at Ripley College where he wrote a manuscript detailing his family's dark history. His unpublished writing continues to haunt Anna long after his death.

Rose is Anna's daughter, born during Anna's teenage years in West Rutland. She grew up to be a highly capable and intelligent young woman who earned college scholarships before her untimely demise. Her existence serves as a direct link to the trauma Anna experienced in Vermont.

Matilda is an elite literary agent working in New York City's publishing industry. Having previously represented Jake during his rise to fame, she eagerly takes on Anna as a client, offering pointers on early drafts and pushing to market Anna's work alongside Jake's legacy.

Wendy is a prominent book editor at Macmillan Publishers. She plays a major part in shaping Anna's public profile as an author, arranging exclusive interviews with the New York Times and scheduling extensive promotional stops across the country.

Martin is a former writing student of Jake's at Ripley College who now teaches robotics at a public school. He maintained an intimate friendship with Evan Parker during their time in the program, making him a person of intense interest to Anna as she tries to locate the source of the leaked manuscript pages.

Arthur is an attorney based in Athens, Georgia. Years prior, he provided legal assistance to Anna when she needed to quietly sell the Parker family's ancestral home in Vermont. He operates his practice out of a gated community known as Club Harmonie.

Betty is a red-haired woman who now lives in Anna's former family home in West Rutland, Vermont. She maintains the property's original features, including the antique pineapple wall stencils and a distinctive rope bed, while harboring deep grudges related to the town's history.

Patrick is Evan's childhood best friend from West Rutland. His abusive actions toward a teenage Anna resulted in severe trauma, altering the trajectory of her entire life and making him a central figure in her dark history.

Sylvia is Betty's partner who shares the restored West Rutland house. Her blunt and somewhat rude demeanor immediately strikes Anna as uncomfortably familiar during their brief interaction.

Louise is Jake's mother. She maintains regular contact with her widowed daughter-in-law, attempting to be kind while inadvertently bringing troubling correspondence to Anna's attention.

Frank is Jake's father, who remains supportive of Anna following his son's death. However, he becomes deeply concerned when outside parties begin sending documents suggesting his son plagiarized his hit novel.