Arrival with Ashes

After her father Hank's sudden death, Vivian Levy escapes the chaos of New York City and her own emotional turmoil, driving to her family's lake house in Fox Hill, Maine. The house, full of memories and responsibilities she feels unprepared for, is both a refuge and a burden. She arrives with her father's ashes, intending to fulfill his wish to be scattered in the lake, but is unsettled to find a stranger already in the house.

The Stranger in the House

The stranger is Lucy Webster, a woman about Vivian's age, who claims to be Hank's other daughter. The confrontation is tense and emotional, as Lucy reveals she's known about Vivian for years, while Vivian is blindsided by the truth. Both women are reeling from Hank's death, but their grief is complicated by the revelation of Hank's double life and the realization that they are sisters, each with a claim to the house and to their father's legacy.

Secrets and Siblings Revealed

The two women, both grieving and angry, begin to piece together the extent of Hank's deception. Lucy shares her own history of being hidden away, only seeing Hank for a month each summer, while Vivian grapples with the fact that her father was never the man she thought he was. The house becomes a battleground for their competing claims, and the emotional fallout of Hank's choices begins to surface.

Grief, Guilt, and the Lake

Vivian reflects on the funeral in New York, her strained relationship with her mother Celeste, and her own guilt over her last fight with Hank. Lucy, meanwhile, is devastated by the loss of her only parent and the threat of losing the one place she feels at home. Both women are isolated in their grief, unable to find comfort in each other or in the people around them.

The Battle for Home

Vivian announces her intention to sell the lake house, needing the money for a new business venture with her boyfriend Oscar. Lucy is crushed, as the house is her only sanctuary after her marriage falls apart and she loses her teaching job. The two women clash over ownership, inheritance, and what the house means to each of them, exposing the deep class and emotional divides between them.

Old Wounds, New Fights

As the women argue, old wounds are reopened: Lucy's sense of abandonment, Vivian's resentment of her father's emotional distance, and both women's complicated relationships with their mothers. Vivian's relationship with Oscar is strained by distance and secrets, while Lucy's failed marriage to Patrick leaves her feeling unmoored. The house becomes a symbol of everything they've lost and everything they're fighting for.

Unraveling the Past

Vivian's mother Celeste arrives, bringing her own baggage and secrets. Dawn, Lucy's mother, is drawn into the conflict, and the two matriarchs finally meet. The women confront the reality of Hank's choices, the impact on their lives, and the ways they've all been complicit in keeping secrets. Letters and old stories reveal the tangled web of love, betrayal, and regret that shaped their families.

Unlikely Alliances

Forced to live together for the summer, Vivian and Lucy begin to find common ground. Shared chores, mutual heartbreak, and the slow process of understanding each other's pain lead to a fragile truce. They bond over small victories, like fixing the boiler or sharing a meal, and begin to imagine a future where they are not just rivals, but sisters.

Love, Loss, and Lies

Vivian's relationship with Oscar unravels as his wife's pregnancy is revealed, and she is forced to confront the reality of being "the other woman." Lucy, meanwhile, tries to move on from Patrick, dating Harrison, a local lawyer who turns out to be involved in the sale of the house. Both women are forced to reckon with the ways love and lies have shaped their lives, and to decide what kind of future they want.

The Summer Truce

After a series of confrontations and confessions, Vivian and Lucy agree to a truce: they will share the house for the summer and make a joint decision about its future. Both women begin to heal, finding strength in their new sisterhood and in the possibility of starting over. Vivian considers opening her own wine bar in Portland, while Lucy lands a new teaching job and starts to imagine a life beyond Fox Hill.

Letters Never Sent

Vivian discovers a box of unsent letters from Hank to both Dawn and his daughters. The letters reveal his regrets, his love for both families, and his inability to choose between them. Reading the letters brings closure and understanding, allowing both women—and their mothers—to forgive, grieve, and move forward.

The Truth About Parents

Celeste confesses to intercepting a letter from Dawn to Hank, a choice that changed the course of all their lives. The women confront the ways their parents' choices shaped them, and the ways they, too, have hurt each other. Through honest conversation and mutual support, they begin to forgive not just their parents, but themselves.

Letting Go, Moving On

On Hank's birthday, the four women gather on the lake to scatter his ashes and celebrate his life. The ceremony is messy, emotional, and imperfect—just like their family. Each woman shares memories, regrets, and forgiveness, finally letting go of the past and embracing the future.

New Beginnings in Portland

With the house sold and the inheritance split, Vivian and Lucy both move to Portland to start new lives. Vivian opens her wine bar, finding purpose and community in her work. Lucy begins her new teaching job, starts a relationship with Harrison, and learns to stand on her own. Both women are stronger for what they've endured, and their bond as sisters is unbreakable.

The Celebration of Life

The women gather for one last meal at the lake, joined by their mothers and new partners. They reflect on the summer, the lessons learned, and the family they've built together. The house, once a symbol of loss and conflict, becomes a place of joy and connection.

Forgiveness and Family

As summer ends, the women look ahead to new adventures, new relationships, and new dreams. They have learned to forgive their parents, each other, and themselves. The story ends with a sense of hope, as the family they've created proves stronger than the secrets that once divided them.

The Final Decision

Vivian and Lucy make the final decision to sell the house and split the proceeds, honoring both their own needs and their father's complicated legacy. They realize that home is not a place, but the people they choose to love and forgive.

A Correction in Print

Vivian arranges for the New York Times to print a correction to Hank's obituary, finally acknowledging Lucy as his daughter. The gesture is small but profound, symbolizing the acceptance, recognition, and belonging both women have fought for all summer.

Characters

Vivian Levy

Vivian is a sophisticated New Yorker, a master sommelier, and the daughter of Hank and Celeste. Raised in privilege but emotionally neglected, she is driven by a need for control, recognition, and love. Her relationship with her father is fraught with disappointment and resentment, and her affair with Oscar reflects her pattern of seeking validation from unavailable men. Over the course of the novel, Vivian is forced to confront her own privilege, her complicity in family secrets, and her capacity for forgiveness. Her journey is one of self-discovery, as she learns to let go of anger, embrace vulnerability, and build a new life on her own terms.

Lucy Webster

Lucy is Hank's secret daughter, raised by her single mother Dawn in small-town Maine. She is a high school English teacher, recently separated from her husband, and fiercely attached to the lake house that represents her only connection to her father. Lucy's life is marked by longing—for her father's love, for stability, for recognition. She is sensitive, self-effacing, and often feels like an outsider, both in her family and in her own life. Through her relationship with Vivian, Lucy learns to assert herself, demand what she deserves, and redefine her sense of home and family.

Hank Levy

Hank is the absent center of the story—a man who loved two women and two daughters, but never had the courage to choose or be honest. His double life leaves a legacy of pain, confusion, and longing. Through unsent letters and the memories of those who loved him, Hank is revealed as both loving and selfish, a man who wanted to do right but was paralyzed by fear and guilt. His inability to confront the truth shapes the lives of everyone around him.

Celeste Levy

Celeste is Vivian's mother, a bestselling romance novelist whose public persona masks deep insecurity and loneliness. She is both a victim and perpetrator of secrets, having intercepted a letter that could have changed the course of all their lives. Celeste's relationship with Vivian is strained by emotional distance and unspoken expectations, but over the summer, she learns to be honest, apologize, and seek real connection with her daughter.

Dawn Webster

Dawn is Lucy's mother, a diner owner who raised her daughter alone after Hank chose Celeste. She is practical, loving, and fiercely protective of Lucy, but also carries her own regrets and bitterness. Dawn's willingness to forgive, to seek happiness for herself, and to support Lucy's independence is a quiet but powerful force in the story.

Oscar Delgado

Oscar is Vivian's boss and lover, a successful restaurateur who promises a future he can't deliver. His inability to leave his wife, his dishonesty, and his self-absorption mirror Hank's flaws. Oscar's presence forces Vivian to confront her own patterns and ultimately choose self-respect over longing.

Patrick

Patrick is Lucy's high school sweetheart and ex-husband. Their marriage is marked by routine and a slow drift apart. Patrick's reluctance to support Lucy's dreams and his inability to fight for their relationship ultimately lead Lucy to choose herself and her future over the comfort of the past.

Harrison Gray

Harrison is a local lawyer and Lucy's new love interest. His honesty, kindness, and willingness to listen offer Lucy the possibility of a healthy, equal partnership. Harrison's own family history is intertwined with the lake and the story's themes of legacy and belonging.

Caleb

Caleb is Lucy's childhood friend and a bartender in Fox Hill. He becomes a confidant to both sisters, offering practical help and emotional support. His budding romance with Vivian represents the possibility of new love built on honesty and mutual respect.

The Lake House

The house itself is a character—a repository of memories, secrets, and dreams. It is the site of conflict, reconciliation, and ultimately, healing. The decision to sell or keep the house becomes a metaphor for the characters' journeys toward letting go of the past and embracing the future.

Plot Devices

Dual Protagonists and Alternating Perspectives

The novel alternates between Vivian and Lucy's points of view, allowing readers to experience the same events through different lenses. This structure highlights the contrasts in their upbringings, personalities, and emotional wounds, while also revealing their shared longing for family and belonging. The dual narrative deepens empathy and underscores the complexity of truth and memory.

The House as Battleground and Sanctuary

The lake house is both a prize and a prison, representing inheritance, loss, and the possibility of reconciliation. Its fate is the central plot engine, driving the sisters' conflict and eventual alliance. The house's history, quirks, and rituals serve as touchstones for the characters' emotional journeys.

Letters and Unsent Confessions

The discovery of Hank's unsent letters is a classic device for unveiling secrets, regrets, and the emotional truths the characters could never say aloud. The letters provide closure, context, and a catalyst for forgiveness, allowing the living to move forward.

Parallel Romantic and Familial Arcs

The sisters' romantic entanglements—with Oscar, Patrick, and Harrison—echo the patterns and pitfalls of their parents' relationships. The novel uses these parallels to explore themes of trust, betrayal, and the courage to choose oneself.

The Celebration of Life Ceremony

The scattering of Hank's ashes is both a literal and symbolic act of letting go. The ceremony brings together all the main characters, forcing them to confront the past, speak their truths, and choose forgiveness. It is the emotional climax of the novel, after which new beginnings are possible.

Correction in Print

The New York Times correction acknowledging Lucy as Hank's daughter is a small but powerful gesture, symbolizing the validation, belonging, and justice both sisters have sought. It marks the end of secrecy and the beginning of a new, honest family narrative.

Analysis

Maine Characters is a modern, emotionally intelligent exploration of family, identity, and the messy, necessary work of forgiveness. Through the intertwined stories of two half-sisters forced to confront their father's legacy of secrets, the novel examines how privilege, class, and emotional inheritance shape our lives. Orenstein's narrative is both sharp and compassionate, refusing to offer easy villains or tidy resolutions. Instead, she shows that healing comes from honesty, vulnerability, and the willingness to let go of old wounds. The lake house, with its peeling paint and layered memories, becomes a metaphor for the self: battered by storms, but capable of shelter, beauty, and renewal. The book's ultimate message is that family is not defined by blood or inheritance, but by the choices we make to love, forgive, and build something new together. In a world where so many are searching for belonging, Maine Characters offers a hopeful, nuanced vision of what it means to come home.

Last updated: June 16, 2025