Vic is a young man growing up in the fading town of Angelus whose life is marked by deep-seated anxiety and a compulsion to protect those around him. The son of a police officer, he witnesses the creeping corruption in his community firsthand. This exposure to systemic failure and family instability shapes his transition into adulthood and heavily influences his eventual career as a lawyer.

Bob is a police officer who relocates his family to Angelus in the early 1970s. Initially a steadfast and rule-following officer, he gradually becomes overwhelmed by the widespread corruption he discovers within his department. Unable to combat the institutional rot, he turns to alcohol to cope with the ethical compromises demanded by his job.

Carol is Vic's mother and Bob's wife. Facing an increasingly unstable household as her husband withdraws, she takes on domestic work cleaning houses to support her son's education. She maintains a fierce sense of personal pride and refuses to compromise her good name, even when challenged by wealthy employers.

Gail is Vic Lang's wife, a woman raised in a strict, religious household. She attempts to comprehend the lingering traumas that affect her husband, feeling that he remains trapped in his past. She acts as an anchor for Vic, even as his anxieties threaten to pull their marriage apart.

Max is an intensely bitter man who lives in a van with his wife and two daughters. Driven by petty selfishness and deep insecurities, he relies on physical violence and intimidation to exert control over his family. He harbors a lifelong jealousy of his younger brother's athletic talent.

Frank is Max's younger brother and a naturally gifted athlete who abruptly walks away from a promising professional football career. He initially uses sports as an escape from his fractured family life, but eventually realizes that his success is hollow without genuine internal motivation.

Boner is an expelled high school student and social outcast in Angelus. Often defined entirely by the rumors surrounding him, he lives with an abusive father and finds himself entangled in the town's darker elements. Despite his fearsome reputation, he is deeply vulnerable to the corruption that surrounds him.

Jackie is a bright student who develops an intense adolescent fascination with Boner McPharlin. She rides around with him in his van, enduring vicious local gossip while hoping for a deeper romantic connection. As she matures, she channels her energy into academics but remains tied to Boner's memory.

Peter is a widower who returns to his hometown of Angelus seeking quiet and stability for his son following his wife's suicide. He hopes to keep a low profile but quickly finds himself pressured to act as a stabilizing influence for his troubled ex-girlfriend.

Raelene is married to Max and lives in a cramped van with their two daughters. Enduring constant physical and emotional abuse, she begins to question her situation after befriending a kind, religious couple who sharply contrast with her own traumatic home life.

Brakey is a high school student living in Cockleshell, raised by a bitter mother after his father abandons them. He develops an intense fascination with his neighbor, seeking her out at night to escape the oppressive atmosphere of his own home.

Agnes is a teenager from a large immigrant family in Cockleshell. She spear-fishes at night not for money, but to escape the deadened, unhappy atmosphere of her home following her father's uneasy transition into sobriety.

Biggie is a recent high school graduate with little ambition, content with his station in life. He embarks on a road trip with his best friend in a purchased VW van, unaware of the growing resentment his friend harbors toward his lack of direction.

Fay is Peter Dyson's high school ex-girlfriend and a recovering addict. She lives with her parents and attempts to use Peter's respectable reputation to rebuild trust with them, resorting to emotional blackmail when he tries to set boundaries.

Alison is a high school classmate of Vic Lang known for a prominent birthmark on her face. She writes poetry and is the object of Vic's intense, one-sided infatuation, though he completely misunderstands her identity and the true meaning behind her writing.

Melanie is an older teenager Vic Lang meets on a beach vacation. Missing a finger from a farming accident, she shares a brief, emotionally complex interaction with the younger Vic before returning to the demanding realities of agricultural life.

Sherry is a kind, religious woman who befriends Raelene in a shared laundry room. She offers Raelene a glimpse of a gentle, respectful marriage, sharply contrasting with the violent reality of Raelene's own home life.

Dan is Sherry's husband, a Christian and recovering alcoholic. His calm demeanor and respectful treatment of his wife force Raelene to reevaluate her assumptions about masculinity and relationships.

Marjorie is Fay's mother and Don's wife. She eagerly invites Peter Dyson back into her home, hoping his steady presence will serve as a positive influence on her troubled daughter.

Don is Fay's father and Peter Dyson's former football coach. He is deeply bitter about his daughter's history of addiction and theft, looking to Peter as a reliable standard of good behavior.

Eric is Agnes's father, a formerly violent alcoholic who has achieved sobriety. Despite quitting drinking, his presence leaves his household feeling emotionally deadened, causing deep unhappiness for his daughter.

Ernie is Bob Lang's brother and Vic Lang's uncle. He is described as a lively adventurer and carouser, standing in sharp contrast to Bob's more dutiful, tidy personality during family trips.

Marie is a young, optimistic journalist on her first assignment. She accompanies Bob Lang on a wilderness search and rescue mission, where her naive enthusiasm clashes with Bob's deep professional disillusionment.

Daisy is Gail's friend who hosts Gail and Vic for a weekend getaway. She serves as a confidante for Gail, offering a space to discuss the mounting tensions in her marriage.

Fenn is Daisy's husband and a friend of Gail. He hosts Gail and Vic at his home, inadvertently providing a space where Vic must confront his feelings of isolation and past traumas.

Ricky is Peter Dyson's young son. Following his mother's suicide, he relies heavily on his father to maintain a sense of normalcy in their new living situation.

Meg is a hitchhiker picked up by Biggie and his friend on their road trip out of Angelus. She is described as intellectually dim, making her an easy target for Biggie's sudden desire to feel superior.

Tony is a local bully in Angelus who targets vulnerable students. His harassment prompts Biggie Botson to step in and defend another student, forging a close friendship between the two boys out of a shared conflict.