Lucas “Luke” Painter

Lucas “Luke” Painter is the narrator of the novel. He is the fourteen-year-old son of Ellie and Bart Painter. He is Roy’s younger brother. He has been best friends with Connor Barnes since they were three years old.

Lucas’ life has become overwhelming with his brother fighting in Vietnam, his parents arguing constantly, and his best friend being more depressed than usual when he meets Zoe’s dogs and begins running with them regularly. The runs take his mind off his troubles.

Lucas meets Zoe after he discovers her unconscious in her cabin after a drug overdose. He learns that she is an outcast from society because she was driving a school bus that crashed, killing two children. It was believed that Zoe fell asleep at the wheel and she was not charged, but many of the people who live in the town blame her...