Character List

1. Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage : Protagonist of the novel; after leaving Dungatar, she worked in the fashion industry throughout Europe and on her return becomes the new popular dressmaker of the town.
2. Molly Dunnage : Tilly's mother; she is mentally unstable and also called Mad Molly by town's people.
3. Ted McSwiney : Love interest of Tilly and star footballer of the town.
4. Sergeant Horatio Farrat : Town's only police officer and a secret cross-dresser.
5. Gertrude "Trudy" Pratt : A nice young girl who after her marriage became part of circle of nasty women of town and started controlling and manipulating her husband.
6. William Beaumont : Husband of Trudy and son of Elsbeth; in an attempt of rebellion towards his controlling mother, he married Trudy and later realised that he does not love her.
7. Elsbeth Beaumont : A controlling and snobbish old woman, who lives outside of Dungatar at the farm.
8. Mona Beaumont : Second child of Elsbeth and sister of William.
9. Lesley Muncan : Initially a visitor to town but, due to a misunderstanding, reluctantly married Mona Beaumont.
10. Evan Pettyman : Councillor of the town and a father of Tilly from his secret affair with Molly; he is later murdered by his wife when she finds out about the affair.
11. Marigold Pettyman : Wife of Evan; she has cleaning OCD and is depressed over the death of her only son; after murdering her husband for his affair with mad Molly, she kills herself by drinking sleeping tonic.
12. Stewart Pettyman : Son of Evan and Marigold; he died when he was a kid in a tragic accident.
13. Muriel Pratt : Mother of Trudy and wife of Alvin; she owns a store in town with her husband and is part of snobby women of town.
14. Alvin Pratt : Father of Trudy and husband of Muriel; owns a grocery store in town with his wife.
15. Percival Almanac : An orthodox, controlling and violent man, who looks down on others; he owns herbal medicines store in town.
16. Irma Almanac : Wife of Percival; she is suffering from some disease but her husband, with his controlling temper, does not let her get proper medication as he believes in herbal medicines.
17. Edward McSwiney : Father of Teddy and town's handyman; he and his family are considered outcasts and live at the edge of town.
18. Mae McSwiney : Wife of Edward and mother of eleven children including Teddy and Barney; she often checks on Molly in the absence of Tilly fom the town.
19. Barney McSwiney : Brother of Teddy; has some kind of disability.
20. Faith O’Brien : Lead singer of town's local band; married to Hamish O’Brien but having an affair with Reginald Blood, which she does not hide at all but still her husband is unaware of it.
21. Hamish O’Brien : Husband of Faith; he is in the local band and also works as a conductor for the trains coming in and out of Dungatar.
22. Reginald Blood : Town's local butcher; he is having an affair with married Faith O'Brien and keeps the townspeople silent about his affair by bribing them.
23. Prudence Dimm : Tilly's former school teacher; teaches at school in Dungatar.
24. Ruth Dimm : Works at post office and is in secret relationship with Nancy Pickett.
25. Nancy Pickett : A strong woman; she is in a secret relationship with Ruth.
26. Bobby Pickett : Brother of Nancy; he is gentle and slow because of which he was picked on by other students in school.
27. Lois Pickett : Mother of Nancy and Bobby; famous for her picking her own scabs and blackheads.
28. Purl Bundle : She works at the town's local hotel and is described as very beautiful.
29. Fred Bundle : Husband of Purl.
30. Septimus Crescent : One of the townsmen; he always has pub spats with Hamish O’Brien and despite knowing that Hamish's wife is having an affair with Reginald Blood, he never reveals that to him.
31. Beula Harridene : Town's malicious snoop.
32. Una Pleasance : Tilly's rival dressmaker; hired by the townswomen.