Long Bright River

Kacey is one and a half years younger than Mickey. She is short, red-haired, and rebellious, forming a sharp physical contrast to her big sister. Because she is so outgoing, Kacey attempts to draw Mickey out of herself. Unlike Mickey, she has no memory of their mother, who died of a drug overdose. Kacey herself was born addicted to heroin and had to be weaned off of it from birth. This predisposes her to turn back to drugs later on when life becomes too difficult. Kacey is aware of her own weakness and judges herself harshly for it, especially when compared to her perfectionistic sister. She represents all the lost children of Kensington who succumb to the lure of drugs.

Kacey’s need to escape reality is mirrored in her physical escape from the toxic environment of Kensington before her second child is born. During this time, she doesn’t want Mickey to find her because she fears that her older sister will take this baby away from her, too. That painful possibility, along with the revelation that she herself was born an addict, seems to provide the motivation for Kacey to kick her habit and give birth to a healthy child. The book suggests that this brief interval of sobriety may finally offer a successful fresh start for Kacey.

Gee is the grandmother of Mickey and Kacey. She is in her fifties, petite, and very tough. Gee resents being thrust into the role of parent when her own daughter dies of an overdose, leaving her to care for the two girls. Although Gee loved her own daughter, her attitude toward her granddaughters is harsh. She believes that she needs to toughen them up to face the grim realities of life.

Perpetually in need of money, Gee works several jobs to support her family and has little time for kindness. She holds a grudge against her son-in-law for getting her daughter hooked on drugs and, over the years, deliberately conceals his letters and gifts of money to his daughters. Gee seems disdainful of Mickey’s attempts to rise above her station in life and refuses to complete the financial aid application that would make it possible for Mickey to apply for a college loan. Instead, she prefers to feel bitter about her lot in life without doing anything to improve it. Gee’s mindset typifies the traditional values and beliefs of the families of Kensington.

At the beginning of the novel, the reader believes that Thomas is the biological son of Mickey and Simon. He is a handsome and precocious child, aged five, and the light of Mickey’s life. Only later do we find out that Kacey gave birth to him after a short-lived affair with Simon and that he was born addicted to heroin. Mickey adopts him to save him from a fate like his mother’s. In terms of the plot, Thomas represents all the babies who are born addicted as well as the possibility of rising above that crippling condition.

Simon is a handsome police officer who volunteers his time to work with at-risk youth. In reality, he preys on underage, underprivileged girls and eventually seduces both Mickey and Kacey. Though he briefly shows some sense of responsibility for Thomas’s welfare, he eventually abandons that interest after marrying another woman. In terms of the plot, Simon represents the abusive authority figures who exploit the very people they are sworn to protect.