Bethia is the deeply intelligent, observant daughter of a Puritan minister living on an island off the coast of Massachusetts. Denied a formal education due to strict 17th-century gender roles, she learns languages and academic subjects by secretly listening to the lessons of others. She is resourceful, fiercely independent, and struggles with the oppressive religious and social expectations placed upon her.

Caleb is a Wampanoag young man, the son of a local leader, and the nephew of a powerful spiritual healer. Deeply curious and highly intelligent, he seeks to understand both his own people's traditions and the ways of the English settlers. His drive for knowledge eventually leads him to study alongside the settlers, though he faces intense prejudice from the broader colonial society.

Tequamuck is a pawaaw, the spiritual leader and healer of the Wampanoag tribe. He is fiercely dedicated to preserving his people's traditions and actively resists the encroaching cultural and religious influence of the English settlers. He holds significant sway over his community and views the settlers' religion as a direct threat.

Minister Mayfield is Bethia's father and the strict Puritan leader of the island settlement. Driven by a passionate desire to convert the local Native American population to Christianity, he takes the controversial step of bringing Indigenous students into his home. His rigid adherence to his faith often blinds him to the emotional needs and intellectual potential of his own daughter.

Joel is a highly intelligent Native American student who fully embraces Christianity and the settlers' educational system. Lacking the physical prowess prized by traditional Wampanoag culture, he excels academically and thrives in the classroom alongside Caleb, demonstrating extraordinary intellectual capabilities.

Makepeace is Bethia's older brother, a reluctant scholar pushed into academic pursuits by his demanding father. Lacking his sister's natural intellect, he masks his insecurities with manipulative behavior and strict enforcement of gender norms. He often targets Bethia with his frustrations, relishing the power his societal status affords him.

Samuel is a young academic and the son of a prominent Cambridge schoolmaster. Though initially sharing the casual sexism of his era, he values intellectual capability and is surprised by Bethia's sharp mind. He desires a relationship built on mental parity, contrasting with the intellectually disconnected marriage of his parents.

Iacoomis is an outcast from the Wampanoag tribe whose small stature left him unfit for warrior status. As Minister Mayfield's first Christian convert, he demonstrates a quick wit and an eagerness to learn English, serving as a crucial bridge between the settlers and the Indigenous population.

Noah is a young farmer from a progressive settler family that maintains relatively positive trade relationships with the Indigenous population. He is practical, community-minded, and views Bethia's linguistic skills as a valuable asset for his family's business.

Master Corlett runs a cramped and unsanitary preparatory school in Cambridge. He is a strict disciplinarian who enforces rigid social and religious hierarchies, readily utilizing corporal punishment and prioritizing his school's reputation above the wellbeing of his students or servants.

Anne is a Native American young woman who was taken in by a fur trader after losing her parents to smallpox. She arrives at the Cambridge school traumatized and deeply fearful of men, but she possesses a resilient spirit and a knowledge of traditional herbal remedies.

Nahnoso is a sonquem, or clan leader, of the Wampanoag and Caleb's father. He attempts to survive the dangerous new reality brought by the English settlers, weighing the spiritual protection of his brother against the medical and political power of the colonial Coatmen.

Solace is Bethia's infant sister, born at the cost of her mother's life. She represents the fragility of colonial life and requires constant supervision from Bethia, who serves as her primary caretaker in their mother's absence.