THE ORIGINAL GILLIS FAMILY - FICTIONALIZED FOR THE NOVEL
MARCELINE GILLIS
MARCELINE is a curmudgeon, and the mother of seven adult children. She is the wife of Fred Gillis and is determined to reclaim her position in the family chief matriarch. Having survived the Great Depression and WWII she is frugal and stubborn and does not like change.
● Strengths: Independent, assertive, unyielding, persistent
● Weakness: Emotionally unavailable, self-serving and unapologetic
FRED GILLIS
FRED is the father of seven and husband of Marceline Gillis. Fred is a cankerous humorous alcoholic with a big heart. He is always conpensate for his wife's lack of tact and warmth, especially toward his seven children. He is tolerant to a fault, with an almost blasé attitude towards life and responsibilities. Fred is often aloof, and unrealistic.
● Strengths: Hopeful, trusting, loyal
● Weakness: Escapist, lazy
BERNIE GILLIS
BERNIE is the oldest of Marceline and Fred’s seven children. He is married to Corrine and a loving father of four children. He is practical and realistic and is often annoying his mother with his determined way of doing things right for all the family, instead of his mother's way. After being abandoned as a child, he has a strained relationship with his mother, Marceline, but still maintains the connection, seemingly out of duty. He burns the candle at both ends, trying to ensure take take care of his aging parents, disabled brother and his own growing family.
● Strengths: Attentive father and husband, trusting, kind
● Weakness: Overly protective, workaholic, lacking in self-care
TOMMY GILLIS
TOMMY is the middle son of Fred and Marceline’s seven children. After suffering a traumatic brain injury during the war, Tommy requires full-time care from his siblings and parents. Tommy’s disability leaves him unaware of most of the family problems. His loving and pure-hearted nature is almost the polar opposite of his mother, Marceline.
● Strengths: Kind, trusting, empathetic
● Weakness: Unable to care for himself
JOHNNY GILLIS
JOHNNY is the youngest of the four Gillis sons. Married to Julie Gillis, he is relatively carefree and unconcerned about family matters and family finances. He lives an affluent lifestyle and loves attention. He is always “one-upping” his older brother Bernie, causing strife between the two siblings. Occupied with “keeping up with the Jones,” Johnny is relatively unphased and undamaged by his poor upbringing and does little to confront the whims of his smothering mother.
● Strengths: Intelligent, charismatic
● Weakness: Flashy, too loyal to his mother
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS
CORINNE & JULIE GILLIS - The two wives of Bernie Gillis and Johnny Gillis. These two woman are real people who have now been fictionalized for the novel.
GERTIE, ANNA MAE & LENA GILLIS - The three married Gillis sisters, and daughters of Marceline and Fred Gillis. These three woman are on real people now fictionalized for the story.
ANDREW GILLIS - The middle son of Marceline and Fred Gillis, who dies just weeks before the house is purchased on Maple Avenue in the Spring of 1951. He is ased on a real person now fictionalized for the story.
FATHER BERNARD - Fred Gillis' younger brother, James Benard Gillies, whose name was changed to Father Bernard after he became a Catholic Priest in PEI, Canada. He is based on a real person, now fictionalized for the novel.
HANNAH & GRACE BRENNER - The two next-door neighbors who live next to the Gillis family on Maple Avenue. These two neighbors are purely fictional.
THE MORGANS & THE LEE FAMILY - Tenants who resided at the house on Maple Avenue during the story period of 1950s-80s. All the tenant characters in the novel are purely fictional.
SOLOMON & HARRY SHULMAN - Harry the grocery store owner, and Solomon his brother, the Real Estate lawyer. Sol Shulman, the lawyer is a real person while his brother Harry Shuluman is a fictional character. Sol Shulman has been fictionalized for the novel.
THE FULLER BROTHERS- The owners who eventually purchase the house on Maple Avenue. Based on are real people now fictionalized for the novel