Morag Gunn
This 48 year old novelist is the protagonist of the story. The plot largely revolves around her relationships to her family, her husband, her illicit lover, her daughter, and most importantly, her isolation in a world who misunderstands her and doesn't value her identity as a woman, just like the colonials didn't respect the humanity of the natives.
Christie Logan
This anti-parent character is shown as a demonstration of the frustrating vulnerability that Gunn is left with after she is orphaned by the death of her parents. Logan is her step father, to an extent.
Brooke Skelton
Gunn's husband, Brooke Skelton, is a Canadian man who doesn't respect the individuality and independence of his wife, causing her to seek out an affair.
Jules Tonnerre
An ethnic native, Tonnerre comes to represent the similarity between the plight of the natives against the colonialists and Gunn's own mistreatment by her culture. Tonnerre and Gunn share an affair, and this leaves her with lots of native concepts and stories to help her work through her isolation.
Pique
Morag's relationship with Tonnerre is certainly not perfect. When the two have the child Pique, Morag takes her away from Tonnerre, so her daughter, Pique, and she have something of a difficult relationship.
