Ten-year-old Moon possesses extraordinary wilderness survival skills, learned from his isolationist father in a remote section of Sumter County. He knows how to track animals, tan hides, and forage for food. Without formal education, he struggles to understand basic societal rules and human interaction. Following his father's death, Moon faces the daunting prospect of traveling to Alaska entirely alone while evading government authorities.

Oliver Blake is a Vietnam War veteran who chose to live completely off the grid, instilling strict anti-government paranoia into his son. He suffers a severe leg injury after falling from a beaver dam but refuses all outside medical help. He firmly believes in complete self-reliance and instructs Moon to homestead in Alaska when he dies.

Constable Sanders is a hostile, abusive local law enforcement officer who enjoys tormenting those weaker than himself. He operates with an unearned sense of authority, largely because his father serves as a local judge. He relies on physical intimidation and develops a personal vengeance against a ten-year-old boy who refuses to submit to him.

Kit is a pale, ten-year-old boy living at Pinson as a ward of the state. He requires daily medication for a recurring illness that causes his hair to thin. He quickly attaches himself to Moon, fascinated by stories of the forest, and eagerly volunteers to join an escape into the wild.

At thirteen, Hal is the oldest and largest boy at the Pinson home. He initially tries to establish physical dominance but quickly learns to respect real fighting abilities. He deeply misses his father and possesses practical mechanical skills, like driving a vehicle, that prove highly useful for transportation.

Mr. Wellington is a middle-aged lawyer who recently purchased the land where the Blakes built their hidden shelter. He initially tricks a hungry boy by promising maps to Alaska, instead calling the authorities. He becomes a central figure in legal proceedings later in the story.

Mr. Abroscotto owns the general store in Gainesville, where the Blakes occasionally hike to trade vegetables for matches and salt. He holds strong opinions about off-the-grid living and believes children belong in proper homes. He provides the only connection to the outside world prior to the property sale.

Uncle Mike is a tree-trimmer living in Mobile, Alabama, with his wife Sara. A kind-eyed man who smells of pine sap, his name surfaces during an expansive search for extended connections to the Blake family across the state.

Mr. Gene operates Pinson, the local home for boys. He adheres strictly to state protocols, insisting that wards remain at the facility until they turn fourteen, at which point they transfer to older institutions.

Mr. Mitchell is a Vietnam War veteran who struggles with alcoholism and sleeps through much of the day. He lives in a mobile home near a clay pit and permits children to shoot his old military weapons at glass bottles.

Mr. Carter is a large staff member at the Pinson boys' home who issues bright orange uniforms to new arrivals. He maintains order in the facility and advises new residents to avoid trouble by following the rules.

Snapper is a bloodhound dispatched to hunt down runaways in the woods. Instead of acting viciously, the dog proves incredibly friendly and attaches himself directly to the boys he is meant to hunt.

Sawbone is the second bloodhound sent into the woods to track footprints. Like the first dog, he abandons his mission in favor of staying with the campers.

Obregon is an incarcerated man in the cell next to a new, young prisoner. He listens to stories about living in the woods and explains how the police handle personal property during an arrest.

Earle is a younger police officer at the Livingston Police Department. He provides a hot shower and clean clothes to a muddy prisoner before locking the cell.

Caroline is a deceased woman who passed away in 1972. She originally moved into the isolated forest shelter, leaving behind only faint memories of a warm presence in a shared bed.

Aunt Sara is a welcoming woman living in Mobile, Alabama. She promises to provide four meals a day to ensure growing boys are well-fed in her home.

Judge Mackin hears the legal disputes regarding the forest escape and assault charges. He takes a practical view of the juvenile justice system and insists on seeing physical evidence rather than automatically trusting law enforcement testimony.

Mr. Hill is the caretaker at the newly built hunting lodge in the woods. He physically catches a runaway trying to flee the property and forces him into a waiting car.