He is a white Desperance man married to an Aboriginal woman, Glenny.

Uncle Mickyĭescribed as a walking encyclopedia, Uncle Micky maintains a collection of items left over from the mining days in Desperance. He claims to work on army missions and he watches guard over the beach every morning. He wears an old Australian army uniform that smells bad because he never washes it. The residents of Desperance regard Nicoli Finn as crazy. He is Christian and urges the residents of Desperance to take a more measured approach toward Aboriginal residents. He is not a local of Desperance but rather a professional educated in local government. He got rich as an early investor in mining stocks. He has been mayor for 10 years and some say he rigs the elections. She marries Will and together they have a child, Bala. Joseph Midnight cuts a deal with the mining company and people say he is a witch doctor. The Westside mob looks down on them and says they are corrupt and without morals. The leader of the Eastside section of Desperance’s Aboriginal population. Eventually, a group of white boys brutally attack Kevin, leaving him nearly dead. Kevin has frequent psychotic episodes and consumes a lot of alcohol. He takes a job at the Gurfurrit mine but soon is injured by an explosion that leaves him mentally and physically destabilized.

Kevin was a smart young boy, but once he finishes his schooling he is unsure of what to do with his life. Eventually, they blame Elias for strange occurrences in town and force him to leave. When Elias walks out of the water and appears on the shores of Desperance, the residents believe he is their guardian angel and they turn him into the town watchman. Elias SmithĪ fisherman who loses his memory when he gets caught in a terrible storm at sea. Will marries Joseph Midnight’s daughter, Hope, and together they have a child, Bala. His father disowns him when he goes to live on the Eastside. Will sabotages the mine and the police search for him. Mozzie eventually leads his men to destroy the Gurfurrit mine. The convoy travels the country in beat-up cars, performing ceremonies in keeping with Aboriginal law and spirituality. Mozzie Fishman is an Aboriginal man who leads a convoy of zealots. Angel eventually abandons the family to run off with Mozzie Fishman. Angel has an amazing ability to transform trash, and she uses this ability to build a house for the family. Normal describes her as a “hornet’s nest,” just like the house they live in. People come from far and wide so that Norm can preserve the fish they’ve caught, making them look alive forever. Everyone in the region knows Norm as the best fisherman. He is a knowledgeable and stubborn man who the residents of Desperance regularly accuse of murder. Norm is the patriarch of the Phantom family. An old tribal man who was born in the Pricklebush at the edge of Desperance.

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright