Previous

Cameron, the second protagonist of the story, is a luckless thirty-year-old who balances extreme pessimism over his misfortune with a hopeful optimistic streak—he is constantly teetering on the edge of emotional and financial collapse. At his best, Cameron is an intelligent young man who arrives in Sowell Bay with a lot of growing to do. At his worst, he is defeatist and cynical, taking on the world with a woe-is-me attitude that nearly ruins his life when he tries to leave Sowell Bay towards the story’s end. Plagued by his parentless childhood and brimming with unanswered questions, Cameron struggles to connect with people. His dangerous mix of self-righteousness and self-loathing causes him to expect the worst from others; however, his time in Sowell Bay brings out another side of him. 

After feeling ousted from his friend group, being dumped by his girlfriend, and losing his job, the warm and forgiving welcome of Sowell Bay offers Cameron a chance to start over. He begins to succeed there because the people give him chances; Elliot helps him find the camper van, Ethan offers him a place to stay, Terry gives him a job, Jessica Snell helps him find Simon Brinks, etc. The gentleness of Sowell Bay and its people, particularly Tova, draws out a similar gentleness in Cameron himself—a trait that connects him to his mother, and the unknown past that has silently defined him since birth. In discovering that past and as well as a home in Sowell Bay, Cameron is finally able to feel contentment in himself and the people that surround him, mirroring, in a way, Tova’s character arc.

Previous section Tova Sullivan

Take a Study Break