Michael

Michael is the oldest son of John and Margaret. Celia and Alec are his siblings. As the novel progresses he has crushes on three women: Angie, Caleigh, and Bethany. He is the only child of the three who inherits John's mental illness. There is a difference between the two of them, though While John's mind shuts down, Michael's races and he suffers from anxiety.

He takes solace in music and the women he becomes obsessed with. He also looks to the suffering of others to find meaning in his own suffering. His focus is on the suffering of slaves.

Many of the events in Michael's life add to his anxiety. He falls in love with women he can never have. Two of them, Caleigh and Bethany are lesbians. Bethany is much younger than he is when they meet. Angie is much older and is married. While she and...