As the protagonist of the 1911 timeline, Anna is a dynamic and round character whose coming of age is chronicled in the diary that connects the two narrative timelines. At 18, she is deeply connected to her family, community, and the folklore of Thornwood. Her life is governed by the rhythms of the farm and the traditional expectations for a young woman of her time. Her diary entries reveal a perceptive and imaginative mind, one that is both dutiful in its responsibilities and curious about the world beyond her village. Anna possesses a strong, though often unspoken, belief in “na Daoine Maithe, The Good People” (52), a conviction rooted in the loss of her older sister, Milly, whom she believes was taken to live with the fairies. This personal mythology shapes her worldview and quietly motivates her actions.

Anna’s world expands significantly with the arrival of Harold, the American story collector. His decision to hire her as his assistant provides her with an unprecedented opportunity for intellectual engagement and independence. The role validates her intelligence and her innate understanding of the local lore, transforming her from a simple farm girl into a respected collaborator in an academic study. This partnership empowers Anna, allowing her to articulate and explore the beliefs that have long been a private part of her inner life. Her secret hope is that Harold’s research will help her find a way to reconnect with Milly, revealing a personal quest for resolution and understanding.

Her journey is tragically marked by a violent confrontation with the darker side of her world. A youthful infatuation with George leads to a brutal assault that shatters her innocence. This traumatic event forces her to reconcile her romantic notions with a harsh reality. Her survival, which she attributes to the supernatural intervention of Milly’s spirit, reinforces her belief in an unseen world where justice, however mystical, prevails. In the aftermath, Anna demonstrates immense resilience. Her story, as captured in her diary, does not end with this trauma but continues, albeit in a way she did not plan. Her decision to remain in Ireland and eventually marry Danny, forgoing a future with Harold, reflects a mature acceptance of her duties and circumstances. Her diary, the physical embodiment of her untold story, transcends time to become a vessel of healing for another woman a century later, highlighting The Lingering Influence of the Past on the Present.

Harold is a scholarly and empathetic American anthropologist who serves as the primary catalyst of Anna’s arc in the 1911 narrative. A round yet largely static character, he is defined by his deep respect for Irish folklore, which he approaches as a vital cultural tradition worthy of academic study. His methodology of “story collecting” is meticulous and non-judgmental, allowing him to earn the trust of the Thornwood community and access stories that might otherwise remain untold. He provides an intellectual framework for the novel’s exploration of folklore, treating the “fairy faith” as a legitimate system of belief that connects the people to their ancestral past.

Harold’s significance extends beyond his academic pursuits as he acts as a mentor and a liberating force in Anna’s life. By employing her as his assistant, he validates her intelligence and provides her with a purpose outside the domestic sphere. Their relationship is founded on mutual respect and intellectual curiosity, and he treats her as an equal partner in his research. Harold’s character is marked by a profound sense of honor. This is most evident in the novel’s climax, when he sacrifices his own freedom by falsely confessing to involvement in George’s death to protect Anna’s reputation and safety. This selfless act underscores his deep affection for her and his unwavering moral integrity. His quest is ultimately revealed to be a personal one; his academic work is a way of connecting with the heritage of his deceased Irish mother, which frames his entire journey as an act of remembrance and an exploration of The Healing Power of Storytelling.

George is the primary antagonist of the 1911 storyline. As a member of the Anglo-Irish gentry, he embodies the entitlement and corruption of his class. He presents a deceptively charming facade that conceals a predatory and cruel nature, a duality that makes him a danger to the community, particularly its young women. His character is static and flat, driven by a singular, self-serving desire for gratification without regard for others. The narrative establishes his malevolence early through Anna’s recollection of him and his sister killing a baby hare for sport as children.

His cruelty is thematically linked to the folkloric motif of the changeling. The Prologue describes the Hawley twins as potential fairy replacements, “evil, sickly souls” destined to “live to become mischievous and destructive individuals, intent on creating bitterness and hate” (2). This supernatural framing elevates George from a mere villain to a figure of almost elemental evil. His violent assault on Anna is the culmination of his predatory behavior, an act of brutal entitlement. His subsequent death, at the hands of a supernatural swarm of bees before he drowns in the river, functions as a form of folkloric justice, a moment where the unseen world intervenes to punish his transgression and protect the innocent.

Olivia, George’s twin sister, is a flat, static character who functions as a secondary antagonist and a foil to Anna. As George’s twin, she shares his cruelty, elitism, and connection to the changeling myth. She is openly disdainful of the local villagers and uses her social standing to manipulate and intimidate others. Her actions are consistently malicious, from deliberately causing Anna to injure her ankle to providing false testimony that leads to Harold’s arrest. Olivia has a possessive bond with her brother, and her behavior is marked by a complete lack of empathy. Her eventual fate, dying alone in the derelict Thornwood House, serves as a final testament to the Hawley family’s cursed and tragic legacy.

Oran Sweeney is a central character in the contemporary storyline, serving as both a love interest for Sarah and a foil to her ex-husband, Jack. A conservation officer and single father, Oran is a dynamic, round character defined by his struggle with grief following the death of his wife, Cathy. When first introduced, he is emotionally withdrawn and overprotective of his daughter, Hazel. His inability to enter Butler’s Cottage, his former home, symbolizes his inability to confront his past and move forward. This emotional paralysis mirrors Sarah’s own, creating an immediate, unspoken connection between them.

Oran’s development is propelled by his relationship with Sarah. Unlike Jack, who recoiled from Sarah’s pain, Oran is able to build a connection with her through their shared experience of loss. This allows for a level of honesty and vulnerability that neither has experienced since their respective tragedies. As he grows to trust Sarah, he begins to open up about Cathy and re-evaluate his approach to his daughter’s grief as well as his own. He learns to accept Hazel’s unique way of coping with her mother’s death, transitioning from a parent who shields to one who supports. His decision to finally re-enter the cottage with Sarah at the end signifies his readiness to embrace the future without erasing the past.

Hazel, Oran’s perceptive and intelligent teenage daughter, plays a key narrative role as a catalyst, bridging the past and present narratives for Sarah by providing her with Harold’s book, The Fairy Compendium. Her fascination with folklore and the supernatural allows her to process her mother’s death and maintain a connection to her. Her journey from secretly holding onto “visions” (300) of her mother to finding a sense of peace represents a key emotional arc in the modern timeline, one that also helps her father to begin his own healing process.

Brian, Oran’s father and Hazel’s grandfather, is a reserved and practical farmer who facilitates Sarah’s journey to Thornwood and Butler’s Cottage after she arrives in Ireland. He provides background information and local context, acting as a grounded, steady presence in the narrative.

Anna’s family provides the warm, domestic heart of the 1911 narrative. Her father, Joe, is a traditional and hardworking farmer, deeply connected to his land and wary of outside influences and political discourse. Her mother, Kitty, comes from a more educated Dublin background and encourages Anna’s intellectual pursuits, hoping for a life for her daughter beyond the farm. Their differing opinions on Anna’s work with Harold highlight the tension between tradition and modernity.

Anna’s brothers represent different facets of Irish life during the period. Paddy’s political engagement with the Irish Republican Brotherhood grounds the narrative in a historical reality. He’s fiercely protective of his family and demonstrates his courage when he orchestrates Harold’s escape from police custody, a pivotal moment in the plot. Thomas and young Billy are less developed characters who contribute to the lively and authentic depiction of the Butler household.