Jack Dodds

Jack is the pivotal character of the novel, even though in the "order" of the story, he has just died. All of his actions are actually completed in flashbacks.

Jack was a Butcher by trade, who secretly wanted to be a doctor. He took over his father's business. It was never in any doubt what he would do for a living. Married Amy and they had a daughter named June, who was developmentally disabled. Jack was upset and basically abandoned his daughter much to the shock of his wife. This caused a rift in their marriage where Amy and June had a bond that Jack didn't.

Jack served in WWII in North Africa with Ray Johnson, who became his lifelong friend. Amy took in a boy named Vince whose parents had been killed in WWII. Jack helped raise Vince, but grew apart from the boy, when he...