• Cathy:

Cathy begins the story in a lost state; she has not yet found herself and her place in this world around her. Cathy spends the story searching for a closeness she missed out on in her childhood due to her mother abandoning her and her brother Rob. She is seeking a family closeness that she only seems to have with her brother, but as the story progresses into a incestuous web of lies, the closeness Cathy has with her brother seems to disappear too.At the beginning of the story Cathy portrays herself as a weak woman, she allows her brother and those she loves to take advantage of her for fear of loosing them if she does not comply. She does what she has to in order to keep the love of Kate and Rob yet in the end she still manages to lose them as their personalities change. Throughout the novel Cathy commits many questionable acts, from scaring Mrs. Gallagher into having a heart attack to having an incestuous love affair with her older brother Rob. As she struggles through trying to protect her relationship with Rob, she experiences an unplanned pregnancy and a wealthy suitor old enough to be her father. Cathy is blind to all the possibilities around her, but as she experiences all the events in her life she slowly gets closer to the truth and infinite possibilities the world holds for her.

• Rob:

Rob is Cathy's brother and the person she trusts most in the world. Were Cathy is shy and timid, Rob is strong and outspoken. He always says what is on his mind, and people either love him or hate him. Throughout the story, however, Rob's relationship with Cathy changes. After Cathy scares Mrs. Gallagher into having a heart attack, Rob seems to be afraid of Cathy because he is under the assumption that she killed Mrs. Gallagher. After that incident Rob slowly becomes more distant from Cathy, by avoiding her and not being willing to stay in the same room with her for long periods of time. Also during this period the incestuous relationship comes to a halt due to Rob’s fear of what Cathy did to Mrs. Gallagher. Then near the end of the novel Rob decides that he is no longer good for Cathy so he goes to Canada with Kate. But a few years later he returns as a shell of his former self, he no longer had the youthful fire and boldness he once had. Rob had grown up, he was no longer the Rob Cathy once loved and he would never be that person again.

• Kate:

Kate has been the maid in Cathy's house since Kate immigrated from Ireland when she was fourteen. Kate has been the mother figure for both Cathy and Rob since before their mother left them to seek a new life. She is the stength that keeps the family together: without her, the family would have disintegrated earlier then it did. Kate took care of them when they were ill and got them out of any and all sticky situations they managed to get themselves into.One of these situations was when Cathy realized that she was pregnant and that Rob was the father. Kate manages to get Cathy a secreat abortion away from the house without anyone ever noticing. Then later that night she delivers and disposes of the fetus without Rob or Cathy’s grandfather being aware. Kate went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to Cathy and Rob; she was the glue that kept the family together. So when she left life as they new it virtually crumbled and remained unable to be repaired.

      Cathy, the main character, explains that winter is her season.  Rob’s season, her brother, is summer.  The story flashback’s to a memory of Cathy’s.  This is common throughout the book.  Cathy and Rob were going to see their father shortly after he was placed in a sanitarium.  Mrs. Gallagher, a family friend who loves Cathy very much, accompanied the children to the sanitarium.  Their father died soon after.  
           The scene then changes to one of the present time, and Cathy is getting prepared for a dinner in an ugly silk dress.  Kate helps her prepare when Rob walks in and continually stays while Cathy is getting ready.  Eventually Rob leaves to greet the guests at the party.  Cathy makes her way down the stairs and is stopped by Livvey, Rob’s intended.  
           Later on, Cathy went to Mr. Bullivant’s with Rob.  Mr. Bullivant brought up that he had seen Cathy’s mother and knew her. Shortly after that, Cathy left Mr. Bullivant’s with Rob. On their way home, Rob and Cathy made a fort out of snow and went inside. Rob kissed Cathy and had sex.  Cathy and Rob go home and discuss what happened to their father to put him in the sanitarium. He got a knife out one day and their father had to be tackled to the ground in order to get the knife. After their lovemaking, Mrs. Gallagher walks in.
           Later the next day, Cathy runs into Mrs. Gallagher and confirms that she saw Cathy and Rob together intimately. Cathy runs in and tells Rob. Rob and Cathy decide they must do something and Cathy is reminded of when she was younger how Rob killed the man in the wallpaper so he wouldn’t bother Cathy anymore.  
           The next day, Rob goes for a ride with Livvy and Cathy gets jealous.  Later, Livvy comes in and says Rob has broken his leg. Cathy spends her time taking care of Rob. Cathy began to eat a lot and Kate concluded that she was pregnant. Cathy blamed the child on Mr. Bullivant. Cathy told Kate to get rid of it. In the night, Kate and Cathy went to a local lady to provide the abortion. Kate went to bury the baby that night.  Soon after, Mr. Bullivant came over to deliver a letter to Cathy from her mother.  Cathy ripped it up instantly, but soon regretted her action.  Mr. Bullivant said her mother would write to her again.  
           Mrs. Gallagher came to visit Cathy and they hiked in the woods.  There, Cathy went on a rant of how it was Mrs. Gallagher’s fault that her baby had to die.  Mrs. Gallagher then fell to the ground.  Cathy left her in the woods.  When Cathy arrived back at her home, she got a search party together and went to the woods to find Mrs. Gallagher.  She was dead from a heart attack.  They brought Mrs. Gallagher back to the house and Cathy asked Rob to come to her room that night, but he said he wouldn’t.  
           The time then transfers to a few weeks later.  Kate is packing to go back to Ireland and Cathy is helping her.  Cathy keeps to her room lot.  Most think it’s about Mrs. Gallagher, but the deeper thought is that her depression comes from her baby’s death.   
           A few days later, Rob writes Cathy a note saying her went to Canada with Kate.  Cathy is able to bond more with her Grandfather that never liked her.  He talks with her of the trouble of raising her mother.  Mr. Bullivant comes to talk to Cathy and tells her that he's leaving for Italy.  He asks Cathy to come with him to Italy but Cathy said she had to stay with her grandfather.  
           War is coming, and the people of the village are preparing for it.  During the fourth winter of the war, Rob comes back from Canada to see Cathy.  He is leaving to join the war the next day.  She talked with Rob about Kate.  Kate got married and had a child.  Cathy, Rob and their grandfather had dinner together and Rob left the next day.  
           Cathy quickly tells of how her grandfather died and how Rob is believed to be dead also from the war.  Mr. Bullivant returns from his travels with a note for Cathy from her mother.  Her mother wishes to see her once again.  Some time later, Cathy and Mr. Bullivant go to France to see her mother.  Cathy's mother walks in and says her name, and Cathy stands a short distance away, realizing her mother stands before her.