People We Meet on Vacation characters

Appears from the start

A travel writer for Rest + Relax magazine who has built her life around seeing new places. Raised in Linfield, Ohio, she felt out of place there and now lives in New York. Although her job once seemed ideal, she has become restless and unhappy. She hopes that reviving her annual summer trip with Alex, her closest friend, will restore both their friendship and her sense of purpose.

Appears from the start

Poppy's reserved, bookish best friend, whom she met while they were both students in Chicago. He teaches high-school literature in their Ohio hometown and prefers routines, quiet evenings, and careful plans to Poppy's restless improvisation. For years they took one summer vacation together despite living far apart, but an unresolved event on their last trip has left them estranged.

First appears in chapter 3

Poppy's friend in New York, a confident social-media personality who encourages her to identify what she actually wants instead of relying on travel to make her happy.

First appears in chapter 4

Poppy's editor at Rest + Relax. Perceptive about Poppy's loss of enthusiasm, she gives her considerable freedom to pursue a trip that might help her recover her creative energy.

First appears in chapter 5

Alex's younger brother, whose destination wedding in Palm Springs provides the occasion for Poppy and Alex to travel together again after two years apart.

First appears in chapter 18

A fellow teacher in Linfield who has had a serious relationship with Alex. She belongs to the settled life he has built at home and understands the parts of him that Poppy's travel-centered life rarely includes.

First appears in chapter 24

One of Poppy's former boyfriends. His presence in the history of her summers with Alex helps expose the jealousy and unspoken expectations that the friends have avoided naming.