George is a retired math teacher who spends his time repairing clocks. He turns his basement into a workshop filled with timepieces in various states of disrepair. He hides his earnings in multiple banks across the region to provide financial security for his wife. He is deeply devoted to his family and uses his horology skills as a practical way to support them.

Howard is a traveling salesman who journeys across New England selling everyday goods. He suffers from epilepsy and keeps his condition a secret from his children. He fixes broken objects out of a pure love for tinkering rather than for financial gain, often accepting no payment for his services.

Kathleen runs a strict, religious household in rural Maine. She chops wood and makes the children wait hours to eat if Howard is delayed. She consults doctors about committing Howard to the Eastern Maine State Hospital after an accident occurs during one of his seizures.

Megan is a talkative and caring woman who becomes part of Howard's life when he settles in Pennsylvania. She buys bromides for Howard to treat his epilepsy and actively seeks medical help for his condition. She provides a warm, supportive environment completely unlike his earlier years.

Erma is George's wife. She manages the household during his illness, interacting with his clock-repair customers without revealing his condition. She directs the family to stop winding the clocks so George can sleep in silence.

Charlie is one of George's grandsons. He spends time keeping his grandfather company, often reading to him from a mysterious, handwritten book detailing life in the north. He discusses lightning strikes and the natural world with George.

Sam is a grandson who assists with physical care tasks. His attempt to shave George results in a small accident that requires the family to change the bedsheets.

Betsy is George's daughter. She uses a sponge to wet his mouth when he struggles to swallow liquid directly, providing comfort during his physical decline.

Howard's father is a local preacher whose health slowly declines. He writes confusing sermons about the devil not being wholly bad. He eventually loses his physical independence and requires dressing in the parlor.

She handles the difficult task of managing her husband's physical deterioration. She eventually arranges for a carriage to take him away from the house when his care becomes too difficult.

Gilbert is an eccentric man living in the woods who claims to have been a classmate of Nathaniel Hawthorne. He pays Howard for pulling an infected tooth by leaving a signed copy of *The Scarlet Letter* at his door.

Cullen provides the goods that Howard attempts to sell from his wagon. He holds a low opinion of Howard's salesmanship and frequently criticizes him for failing to sell goods to impoverished country families.

Ed manages the Salem Five Bank in Enon. Because of his tall stature, he frequently bumps into the bank's large clock, requiring George to regularly fix its inner mechanisms.

Joe is one of George's younger siblings, raised in the harsh environment of rural Maine. He has an intellectual disability and relies on his family for support.

Darla is one of George's younger sisters. She grows up in the strict household managed by Kathleen and waits hours for meals when her father is delayed.

Marjorie is George's younger sister. She lives in rural Maine under her mother's stern supervision and shares the hardship of their poverty.

Ray is George's childhood friend. George uses Ray's shed as a hiding place when he temporarily runs away from home following a distressing incident with his father.

Old Sabbatis is a local Indigenous man. Howard imagines seeing his face while submerged in a pond during a night of intense physical exposure.

Nikki is a nurse and a friend from George's church. She visits George's home 72 hours before his death to provide medical assistance.

She is an ailing woman living in Pittsburgh. Her illness prompts Megan to travel from Philadelphia to care for her in 1953.