The Unmaking of June Farrow

Adrienne Young

41 pages 1-hour read

Adrienne Young

The Unmaking of June Farrow

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

June is a 34-year-old woman who manages her family's long-running flower farm. She experiences strange auditory and visual hallucinations, including a mysterious red door and a vintage song playing on loop. Convinced she is succumbing to a matrilineal family curse that causes the Farrow women to lose their minds, she actively avoids romantic attachments. She searches desperately for answers regarding her mother's mysterious disappearance shortly after June's birth.

Key Relationships

Granddaughter of Margaret Farrow

Daughter of Susanna Farrow

Romantically connected to Eamon Stone

Best friend of Mason Caldwell

Friend of Birdie Forester

Descendant of Esther Farrow

Patient of Dr. Jennings

Investigating the history of Nathaniel Rutherford

Margaret is June's grandmother who recently passed away after years of cognitive decline. Though modern Jasper remembers her for her apparent mental illness, she appears in the 1951 timeline as a vibrant sixteen-year-old girl with storm-cloud blue eyes. She provides June with steady affection and unconditional trust across both time periods.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of June Farrow

Lifelong friend of Birdie Forester

Descendant of Esther Farrow

Acquaintance of Eamon Stone

Neighbor of Ida Pinckney

Patient of Dr. Jennings

Eamon is a hardworking Irish immigrant managing a tobacco farm in 1951 Jasper. He raises his young daughter alone and carries the emotional weight of his wife's sudden disappearance a year prior. He acts with blunt honesty and protects his family intensely from the suspicions of the local townspeople.

Key Relationships

Romantically connected to June Farrow

Father of Annie Stone

Investigated by Caleb Rutherford

Associate of Esther Farrow

Acquaintance of Margaret Farrow

Suspect in the death of Nathaniel Rutherford

Supporting Characters

Birdie is a maternal figure who lives with June and Margaret. She holds deep knowledge about the Farrow family history and the mysterious red door June keeps seeing. Recognizing the signs of the family curse, she instructs June on what to do next.

Key Relationships

Lifelong friend of Margaret Farrow

Caretaker and friend of June Farrow

Mason is a 34-year-old Jasper resident who manages the local flower shop. He maintains a fierce loyalty to June, respecting her boundaries while offering continuous emotional support. He represents a potential, ordinary life that June refuses to pursue due to her fear of the curse.

Key Relationships

Best friend of June Farrow

Family friend of Margaret Farrow

Caleb is the clean-cut police deputy operating in 1951 Jasper. He works relentlessly to solve the recent murder of the town's minister. His aggressive investigation tactics create tension with the Stone family as he attempts to uncover the truth behind the local tragedy.

Key Relationships

Investigating the death of Nathaniel Rutherford

Interrogator of June Farrow

Suspicious of Eamon Stone

Questioner of Mimi Granger

Esther is June's great-great-grandmother who operates the Farrow flower farm in the mid-twentieth century. She approaches the magical realities of her bloodline with a practical, no-nonsense attitude. She manages the family business efficiently while guarding the specific rules of the temporal doorways that appear to the Farrow women.

Key Relationships

Ancestor of June Farrow

Ancestor of Margaret Farrow

Ancestor of Susanna Farrow

Associate of Eamon Stone

Susanna is June's mother who vanished shortly after giving birth. Her disappearance defines much of June's early life and prompts June's search into the town's historical records. Official reports claim she died after losing a child, but her appearance in conflicting historical documents suggests a different reality.

Key Relationships

Mother of June Farrow

Historically connected to Nathaniel Rutherford

Nathaniel is a historical Jasper minister whose 1950 murder serves as a major local mystery. Town newspapers portray him favorably, masking a cruel reputation that surfaces during June's investigation into the past.

Key Relationships

Historically connected to Susanna Farrow

Subject of investigation by Caleb Rutherford

Annie is a young child living on the Stone tobacco farm in 1951. She experiences distress over her mother's sudden absence, frequently waking up crying during the night. She remains watchful and cautious around unfamiliar people.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Eamon Stone

Cared for by June Farrow

Ida is a resident of modern-day Jasper who lives next door to the Farrow family. She assists June in searching through historical records to locate information about Susanna Farrow.

Key Relationships

Neighbor of Margaret Farrow

Acquaintance of June Farrow

Dr. Jennings is the local physician in Jasper who managed Margaret Farrow's medical care during her decline. He administers regular blood tests to June and tracks her symptoms to identify patterns in her perceived illness.

Key Relationships

Doctor of June Farrow

Doctor of Margaret Farrow

Mimi is a 1951 Jasper resident whose credibility the town frequently dismisses due to her alcohol use. She claims to have witnessed a bloody, chaotic scene on the night the local minister died.

Key Relationships

Witness for Caleb Rutherford

Fearful of June Farrow