Ruth Fox – Shyla's mother; Leah's grandmother. Judge Johnson Hagood McCall – Jack's father and the town's functioning drunk, "The Judge" has been divorced from Jack's mother for years, but he pines after her still. Lucy McCall – Mother of the five McCall brothers. Diagnosed with leukemia, Lucy wants to spend her remaining days on the beach, surrounded by her family and the endangered loggerhead sea turtles. It is her illness that summons Jack and Leah out of Italy and back to the states. Silas McCall – "The Judge's" father; Jack's grandfather. Jordan Elliot – A close friend of Jack's, he moved to Waterford when the two were in high school. A military brat with a tyrant father, Jordan struggled against authority in his youth. He is caught in a scandal which has motivated him to retreat to/hide in the priesthood in Italy, which is where he and Jack reconnect. Mike Hess – Another one of Jack's high school friends, Mike is a Hollywood producer. He wants to tell the story of their childhood through a mini-series that he hopes to produce. Having recalled Mike as one of the nicest guys from his youth, Jack recognizes (as does Mike, himself) that Hollywood has changed Mike for the worse. Ledare Ansley – Capers Middleton's ex-wife, Ledare is one of Jack's childhood friends. Beautiful and charming, Ledare becomes more and more important to Jack as the novel progresses. Capers Middleton – Another friend of Jack's from high school. His father's heritage is known for their aristocracy and political prowess in South Carolina. Capers hopes to run for governor of South Carolina. After back-stabbing Jack in college, he tries to reinstate his friendship with him after Shyla's death. Max Russoff – Ruth's adopted father; after Ruth went through the Holocaust it was Max "The Great Jew" who rescued her from Poland. External links Silas Pearlman Bridge Information References 1995 American novels American historical novels Books by Pat Conroy Doubleday (publisher) books Novels set in South Carolina