Vanessa is an observant, imaginative young girl growing up in Manawaka, Manitoba, during the Great Depression. She often escapes the tense realities of her family dynamic by writing romanticized stories. She struggles to reconcile her idealized views with the complex, sometimes harsh adult world around her. She deeply admires her father but harbors a quiet resentment for her imposing grandfather.

Beth is Vanessa's mother, a former nurse turned homemaker. She faces the exhaustion of household responsibilities, impending motherhood, and economic strain. She maintains a measured and understanding temperament, acting as the peacemaker in her extended family. She occasionally relies on secretive moments, like smoking with her sister Edna, to cope with the pressure.

Ewen is Vanessa’s father, a dedicated local doctor and World War I veteran. He works tirelessly, often providing uncompensated care to those affected by the Depression. He carries quiet emotional burdens from the war, partly stemming from a tragic accident involving his brother Roderick. He sometimes uses his demanding profession to shield himself from intense family conflicts at home.

Grandmother MacLeod is Ewen's mother. She is an austere woman who fiercely clings to her Scottish heritage and memories of past affluence. She lives in a large, ornate house that she can barely maintain and resists the realities of the economic downturn. She focuses heavily on appearances and strict behavioral standards, often appearing detached from the practical struggles of her family.

Aunt Edna is Beth’s sister, a quick-witted and sarcastic woman who lost her secretarial job due to the Depression and returned to live with her parents. She uses humor as a shield against her vulnerabilities and the restrictive environment created by her father. She desires independence and genuine love, refusing to marry merely for financial security.

Grandfather Connor is the imposing patriarch of the family. He is a former hardware store owner and pioneer who built the town's first brick house. He is a gruff, restless, and deeply stubborn man. His inability to express emotion openly manifests as criticism and anger, frequently alienating the family members he fiercely attempts to protect.

Grandmother Connor is Vanessa's maternal grandmother, a gentle, highly religious woman. She provides a sharp contrast to her husband’s gruff demeanor. She finds joy in simple things, like her pet canary, and offers warm affection to Vanessa. She maintains a quiet, oblivious grace despite the household's underlying tensions.

Dan is Grandfather Connor's carefree, less successful brother. He owns a farm but frequently attends horse sales with little to show for it. His casual behavior, including burping, swearing, and smoking indoors, directly clashes with his brother's rigid standards.

Uncle Terence is Beth and Edna's brother, who lives away from Manawaka in Toronto. He possesses a keen understanding of the family's deeply ingrained defense mechanisms and historical tensions, often vocalizing truths that the rest of the family ignores.

Roddie is Vanessa's younger brother, born during the family's strained economic circumstances. He is named after Ewen's deceased brother to appease Grandmother MacLeod.

Roderick is Ewen's late brother, who died in the Great War. Though deceased before the narrative begins, his memory casts a long shadow over the MacLeod household, particularly influencing Ewen's sense of guilt and Grandmother MacLeod's reverence for the past.

Dr. Cates is a local physician in Manawaka. He serves as a professional peer of Ewen MacLeod and is called upon during family medical emergencies.

Jimmy is a man from Winnipeg and an old flame of Aunt Edna's. His urban lifestyle and job at a loan company draw immediate, harsh criticism from Grandfather Connor.

Noreen is a maid hired by the MacLeod family. She brings an intense, sometimes unsettling religiosity into the household. She introduces Vanessa to superstitions, Ouija boards, and strict concepts of heaven and hell.

Piquette is an older girl from the marginalized Métis community in Manawaka. She struggles with bone tuberculosis and misses school frequently. She is brought to the MacLeod's summer cottage to heal, responding to Vanessa's naive, romanticized curiosity with guarded distance and defiance.

Lazarus is Piquette's father and a member of the local Métis community. He lives in a makeshift shack and is known in town for his struggles with drinking and frequent public altercations on Main Street.

Jules is the patriarch of the Tonnerre family and a wounded veteran of the 1885 Battle of Batoche. He originally built the family's modest cabin by the river as a temporary winter shelter.

Mavis is Vanessa's best friend in Manawaka. She serves as her primary companion during childhood summers and social events, offering a typical, untroubled friendship in contrast to Vanessa's tense family life.

Chris is Vanessa's older cousin from the northern town of Shallow Creek. He moves into the Brick House to attend high school. He is deeply optimistic and imaginative, captivating Vanessa with tales of his farm. He handles Grandfather Connor's complaints with a calm, detached demeanor.

Peter is a local man who interacts with Grandfather Connor over business. He owns a dog that recently had puppies and offers one to Vanessa.

Harvey is a pale, sixteen-year-old local paperboy. He lives in the impoverished North End of Manawaka with his aunt. He harbors a cruel streak, specifically targeting the family's new dog and antagonizing Vanessa with a chilling sense of enjoyment.

Nanuk is a half-husky puppy gifted to Vanessa. Housed in the basement to appease Grandfather Connor, the dog's naturally trusting demeanor begins to change after facing persistent cruelty from a local boy.

Wes is the new Canadian National Railway stationmaster in Manawaka. He begins courting Aunt Edna, facing Grandfather Connor's immediate and stubborn hostility with practical capability.

Michael is a young airman from British Columbia stationed at a training camp outside Manawaka. He shares a love of poetry with Vanessa and possesses a cynical, disillusioned view of wartime heroism.