Adam Berwick

Adam Berwick is the first character introduced in 1932. He has blond hair and a timid disposition. By this time, he had already lost his older brothers in World War I and his father to the Spanish flu shortly after. Unable to maintain the expense of their generational farm, he and his mother sold it back to the Knight estate, where he now works. Adam is intelligent and had initially planned on pursuing higher education before his family’s tragedy. When Adam met Mimi, she convinced him to try reading Jane Austen. To his surprise, Adam found Jane Austen both witty and observant. Pride and Prejudice became his favorite book, and he hoped it would lead him to happiness in his reality.

In 1945, Adam is about 45 years old. Although he lives with his chatty, nagging mother, Adam maintains his withdrawn lifestyle. Every winter, he rereads all six of...