Alice Kessler

Alice Kessler begins the novel as a 14-year-old girl who experiences her first pangs of love and jealousy one summer at her family's lake home. She is also beginning to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Alice feels that her parents are keeping a secret from her, and notices that her sister, Natalie, has recently grown distant. Alice has a connection with her older neighbor, Thomas, and develops a crush on him, but is devastated when she discovers he's been sleeping with her 17-year-old sister.

A dedicated birdwatcher, 21-year-old Alice studies ornithology at the university, though her teachers remain skeptical of how well she'll do with her arthritis, which has grown worse over the years. Alice's relationship with her sister, Natalie, has also grown worse, even after their parents' death. Alice returns to the summer home for a break away from school and Natalie and runs into Thomas again...