The Keeper of Stars

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child death, and substance use.

Jack is the novel’s protagonist and one of its two romantic leads. The story follows his transformation over the course of 60 years. As a young man, Jack is modest, respectful, and considerate of others. Ellie says that she knew he was gentle and kind the first time she looked into his eyes. Jack is also a gifted mechanic, fisherman, and storyteller, and he intends to use his talents to lift himself out of the poverty he was born into. His greatest ambition before meeting Ellie is to own a fancy house on the hill in his hometown and have enough money to provide for his mother. He cannot imagine a life outside of his small hometown because of his love for his mother, his community, and the natural environment—particularly Douglas Lake. 

Jack earnestly believes that he has the power to guide his own destiny, and he is willing to work as hard as necessary to make his dreams come true. Over and over, young Jack is characterized as a “simple” man from a humble background who has optimistic beliefs about his future and others’ characters (177).