If There Be Thorns

Jory is a perceptive, talented fourteen-year-old who narrates much of the story. He longs to follow his mother Cathy into ballet and notices cracks in his family’s facade. He remains loyal to his brother Bart and becomes one of the first to sense that the elderly neighbor hides dangerous secrets.

Bart is a nine-year-old who feels inferior to Jory and retreats into a world of fantasies. He copes with neglect and later embraces a troubling persona shaped by manipulation and his own delusions of power. His acts of violence escalate as he becomes entangled with the dangerous neighbor and the diary of his great-grandfather.

Cathy is a loving mother who adores her sons but shows favoritism toward Jory. She and Chris conceal their complicated past from their children, and she documents her life after a devastating accident. Her resilience is tested as secrets unravel and she confronts the true nature of Corrine.

Christopher is Cathy’s husband and the patriarchal figure in their turbulent blend of families. He grows aware of the buried family truths but struggles with what to reveal to Cathy. His stance shifts between protection of his family and the burden of keeping dangerous secrets.

Corrine is the elderly neighbor whose charm masks a ruthless past. She showers Bart with gifts and seeks to control the family’s fortunes, ultimately revealing herself as the true architect of the family’s suffering. Her actions drive much of the tragedy that unfolds.

John Amos is the seemingly loyal butler who appears to guide Bart toward power through manipulation and secrecy. He orchestrates dangerous plans and reveals how far some will go to secure wealth and influence. His presence intensifies the sense of inescapable fate within the estate.

Madame Marisha is Jory’s paternal grandmother, the imposing matriarch who embodies old-world aristocracy and the weight of family lineage. Her visit confronts Cathy with painful truths about ancestry and the costs of maintaining appearances. She anchors the story’s legacy theme with stern presence.

Malcolm is the great-grandfather whose legacy and diary haunt Bart’s sense of power and ambition. His influence and the wealth he left behind fuel the family’s conflicts and shape Bart’s fantasy of inheriting control. He represents a haunting historical shadow over the living family.

Cindy is the two-year-old daughter adopted by Cathy, symbolizing Cathy’s longing for a daughter of her own. Her presence ignites protective instincts and serves as a focal point for the parents’ desires and fears. She becomes an innocent target within the house’s dangerous power dynamics.