Grandma is an unconventional, fiercely independent older woman living in a quiet rural town. Unconcerned with societal expectations or the strict letter of the law, she operates by her own strong moral compass, often using deception and her trusty shotgun to achieve justice. She provides a foundational education in practical survival and community care for her grandchildren.

Joey is a young boy from Chicago who visits his grandmother for a week each summer. He dreams of becoming an airplane pilot and keenly observes the differences between urban life and his grandmother's rural community. Through these annual visits, he learns practical lessons about justice and family loyalty.

Mary Alice is Joey's younger sister, a city girl who initially finds her grandmother's eccentric behaviors frightening. Over the consecutive summer visits, she matures from a timid child into a confident young woman. She carefully absorbs her grandmother's tactics and applies them to achieve her own goals.

Shotgun Cheathham is a recently deceased resident of the rural town. While wild rumors circulate that he was a decorated war hero who rode with the James gang, he was actually a poor marksman who earned his nickname by accidentally shooting a cow.

Mr. Cowgill is the local milk farmer who supplies the town's dairy. He tends to turn a blind eye to his sons' delinquent behavior, prioritizing his business reputation over disciplining his children.

The Cowgill boys are the local troublemakers who terrorize the town with pranks and vandalism. They feel entitled to cause mischief without consequence because their father protects them.

The local sheriff is a law enforcement officer who selectively enforces the rules, especially when it comes to the town's poorer residents. His own hypocritical behavior, such as drinking while on duty, leaves him vulnerable to blackmail.

A young local woman working to support herself, she faces constant physical and financial abuse from her overbearing mother. She falls in love with a boy from a wealthy family, trapping her between two sets of controlling parents.

An abusive and controlling woman who treats her daughter as property. She uses physical force and intimidation to seize her daughter's hard-earned wages, actively preventing the girl from achieving independence.

A young man from a wealthy, upper-class local family who falls in love with a lower-class serving girl. He struggles against his parents' strict social expectations and seeks outside help to break his sweetheart free.

The wealthy, status-conscious parents of the young man in love with the serving girl. They firmly believe the working-class girl is beneath their son and attempt to use their local influence to sever the relationship.

An elite, upper-class resident of the town who is highly concerned with maintaining her social reputation during the Great Depression. She expects lower-class individuals to handle menial tasks to support the town's prestige.

An older woman and long-time acquaintance of Grandma who faces extreme financial hardship. Forced out of her foreclosed home by the local bank, she becomes the quiet beneficiary of Grandma's cunning community interventions.

The town banker is focused on foreclosing properties and developing land for profit. His plans to tear down a local home are interrupted when strategically placed rumors suggest the property holds historical significance.

A city journalist looking for a sensational scoop about a deceased town resident. He easily falls victim to the tall tales spun by the locals, eagerly writing down whatever dramatic fictions are presented to him.