Daniel Rocket
Daniel is a 12 year old boy with a special gift: he can fly. He believes his life is meant to do great things, and with his ability he is able to become a legend in flying. He returns home 20 years later in an attempt to fly away with Alice, his grade school love, but finds her wed to Richard and with a son. Daniel dies after he falls trying to fly off Hatch's Cliff; he's lost his ability to fly.
Richard
Richard is Daniel's best friend as a kid. He is the only one of the boy's who attempts to understand Daniel and even reads books about flying to do so. Richard marries Alice, and when Daniel returns 20 years later he must quarrel with his friend who has come to take Alice away from him.
Alice
Alice is one of the young girls in Daniel and Richard's class as children. She likes Richard and even kisses him when they are 12, but Daniel shares his secret of being able to fly without wings with her alone, and a special bond is formed between the two.
Penny
Penny is Alice's best friend. She isn't able to keep a secret to herself and when she grows older she eventually leaves her husband Steven and their son, seeking a divorce.
Steven
Steven is one of the young boys who picks on Daniel as a kid. He marries Penny, but she leaves him the week that Daniel has returned home for the first time in 20 years. He blames Daniel for the problems in his life.
Mrs. Rice
Mrs. Rice is the grade school teacher for all of the kids. She makes Daniel promise he won't attempt to fly because it is too dangerous. However, when Daniel returns home two decades later, we learn she's kept all of the newspaper clippings of his flights.
