Thirteen-year-old Isabel is an enslaved girl seeking to secure the freedom legally promised to her and her younger sister. Following her owner's death, she is sold to a wealthy Loyalist couple in New York City. She fiercely protects her sister at all costs. Thrown into a city preparing for war, she must quickly learn to survive the complex political tensions around her.

Curzon is a young enslaved boy with strong street smarts and a firm belief in the American rebellion. He works for a Patriot officer and actively tries to recruit Isabel to act as a spy within her Loyalist household. He possesses a calm, measured demeanor that balances Isabel's fiery independence.

Ruth is Isabel's five-year-old sister who has an intellectual disability and epilepsy. She is quiet and highly vulnerable to the whims of the adults around her. Her well-being serves as the primary motivation for all of Isabel's decisions and actions.

Anne Lockton is a wealthy, image-obsessed Loyalist living in New York City. She demands total submission from those she enslaves and frequently uses physical violence to enforce her will. She concerns herself primarily with maintaining her high social standing and hoarding luxury items.

Elihu Lockton is a wealthy merchant who secretly supports the British crown and funds Loyalist bribery schemes. He is pragmatic and values self-preservation above all else, keeping his political maneuvers hidden from the ruling Patriot forces in New York.

Lady Seymour is Elihu Lockton's wealthy, dignified aunt. Unlike her niece-in-law, she speaks to Isabel respectfully and provides small comforts like food and brief respites from the Locktons' cruelty. She opposes the mistreatment of children but avoids directly challenging the legal structures of enslavement.

Becky is the head housemaid at the Lockton estate. She focuses entirely on personal survival and keeping the peace, carefully avoiding the political conflicts tearing the city apart. She teaches Isabel the daily routines of the household while warning her to remain invisible.

Robert is Mary Finch's greedy and callous nephew. He ignores his aunt's will, which stipulates freedom for Isabel and Ruth, and immediately auctions them off to secure a quick profit.

Jenny is an Irish immigrant, former indentured servant, and tavern owner in Rhode Island. She knew Isabel's mother and offers the hungry girls a hot meal and momentary comfort during their auction.

Colonel Regan is a Patriot officer in the Continental Army. He possesses the authority to assist Isabel in her quest for freedom and listens to the intelligence she gathers regarding Loyalist plots.

Bellingham is a Patriot leader in New York City. He actively seeks evidence to arrest wealthy Loyalists like Elihu Lockton and utilizes those he enslaves for the war effort.

Grandfather is a wise, older enslaved man who serves as a spiritual leader at the city's water pump. He offers cryptic but encouraging advice to the young people around him, urging them to find their own path to freedom.

Mary was Isabel and Ruth's former owner in Rhode Island. She taught Isabel how to read and legally stipulated in her will that the girls should be freed upon her death.

Dinah is Isabel and Ruth's mother, who died of smallpox a year before the novel begins. Her memory and the seeds she left behind provide Isabel with immense emotional strength.

"Goldbuttons" is the nickname Isabel gives to one of Master Lockton's Loyalist co-conspirators. He helps orchestrate a plot to bribe Patriots and secure the city for the British.

Sarah is a heavily pregnant woman hired to cook for the Locktons. She relies on Isabel to perform heavy lifting and outdoor errands as her pregnancy advances.