Jen Morgan

Jen Morgan is one of the two protagonists of the novel. After her mother dies, Jen is separated from her family who all go to live in Wales while she stays behind in Amherst and lives with her Aunt and Uncle so she can finish school. At the opening of the novel, Jen is making her way to Wales to visit with her family over her Christmas vacation. Once she arrives in Wales, Jen is disheartened to find that her family has completely fractured and her father has little interest in what is happening in his children's lives. Jen is also bothered by the fact that her younger brother, Peter, is obsessed with a metal key that he found, and has become somewhat withdrawn, aggravated, even hostile. When Jen realizes that her family cannot cope without her, she asks her father to let her drop out of...