Mr Stink characters

Appears from the start

A lonely twelve-year-old who lives in the shadow of her accomplished younger sister. Chloe has a lively imagination but little confidence at home or school. She regularly sees an elderly homeless man on a bench and, unlike most passers-by, becomes curious about him as a person.

Appears from the start

An elderly homeless man known for the powerful smell surrounding him. He sits on the same bench with his dog, Duchess, and responds to Chloe's tentative kindness with formal courtesy. Beneath his neglected clothes and wandering life, his speech and manners suggest an unexpected past.

Appears from the start

Mr Stink's devoted dog and constant companion. Duchess shares his outdoor life, stays close to him when he moves into Chloe's orbit, and is treated by him with great affection and dignity.

First appears in chapter 2

Chloe's younger sister, who excels at school and music and is continually presented as the ideal child. Her success intensifies Chloe's feeling that she is unnoticed and inadequate within her own family.

First appears in chapter 2

Chloe's forceful, image-conscious mother. She expects her daughters and husband to fit her plans and is pursuing a political career, presenting strict opinions about how the town should be run. Chloe believes that bringing Mr Stink home would provoke exactly the response she fears.

First appears in chapter 2

Chloe's gentle father, who is frequently overruled by his wife and has withdrawn from family decisions. He retains a fondness for rock music and proves more aware of Chloe's unhappiness than his quiet manner first suggests.

First appears in chapter 3

A girl at Chloe's school who calls herself Chloe's friend while using ridicule and exclusion to control her. Rosamund's treatment contributes to Chloe's loneliness and makes the uncomplicated friendship offered by Mr Stink especially important.

First appears in chapter 4

The friendly local shopkeeper, familiar with Chloe and the other children who visit his newsagent's. His shop supplies food and small necessities as Chloe begins helping Mr Stink.

First appears in chapter 22

The country's head of government, whom Mr Stink meets after the homeless man becomes a public figure. He treats homelessness as a political problem to be managed, while Mr Stink insists that people without homes should be listened to rather than used as symbols.