Amelia is a young college student at Brooklyn College working on her anthropology thesis about the Gullah-Geechee people. Raised in New York, she has assimilated into urban culture and initially views her Southern relatives as backward due to her grandmother's teachings. She travels to Dawtuh Island for fieldwork, armed with a camera and a desire to piece together her family's history. Her journey to the island challenges her academic detachment and forces her to reevaluate her understanding of community and progress.

Elizabeth is a bright, resourceful young teacher working at Dawtuh Island's only school. She spent time at a mainland finishing school but chose to return to her community, where she respects old traditions and crafts folk-magic charms. She struggles with feelings of restlessness and frustration over the educational restrictions placed on her students by mainland authorities. She acts as a bridge between the island's history and its future potential.

Haagar is Amelia's domineering grandmother who migrated to New York twenty-four years ago to escape the South. She is deeply ashamed of her Gullah-Geechee heritage and pushes her family to assimilate into urban Black society. She hides a traumatic childhood in Hog Alley behind a rigid focus on upward mobility and material success, completely cutting off family members who chose not to leave the island.

Myown is Amelia's timid, sickly mother who pines for the community she left behind on Dawtuh Island. Dominated by her mother Haagar, she was pushed into a marriage for status rather than love. Her physical illness mirrors her deep emotional isolation in New York, and she quietly encourages her daughter to reconnect with their roots.

Eula is a grounded, patient mother who embraces the traditional ways of the Gullah-Geechee people. She serves as a reliable source of comfort and advice, guiding her children and Amelia with gentle wisdom. She carries deep faith in the old spirits, drawing strength from them after surviving severe past traumas.

Eli is Eula's husband and a fiercely protective father. He feels a strong connection to his ancestors and takes pride in his son's physical prowess through traditional martial games. He carries long-held quiet anxieties regarding his family's safety and his daughter's growing independence.

Nana is the deceased grandmother of the Peazant family whose spiritual legacy looms large over Dawtuh Island. During her life, she taught Elizabeth the art of making folk-magic charms and blessed Iona's marriage. Her home remains a gathering place covered in letters from departed relatives.

Iona is Haagar's sister who chose to leap out of a departing boat to remain on Dawtuh Island with the man she loved. She lives a happy, secluded life out in the swamps, blending Gullah-Geechee and Cherokee traditions with her family.

St. Julien is the only remaining Cherokee man on Dawtuh Island. He is a devoted husband who recognized Iona's sorrow and brought her grandmother to bless their union, ensuring her permanent connection to her family.

Ben is Elizabeth's younger brother. He develops an immediate fascination with Amelia's camera and displays a natural talent for photography, while also preserving local legends like the story of Ibo Landing.

Lucy is Elizabeth's younger sister. She strongly resents the idea of being studied by an outsider and fiercely protects her family's dignity. She plans to buy property and farm with her fiancé.

Miz Emma Julia is an esteemed elderly woman on Dawtuh Island known for practicing folk magic and preserving oral history. She acts as a spiritual leader for the community, finishing Elizabeth's education and directing important ceremonial rituals to honor ancestors.

Willis George is a dependable boatman who provides the primary transport to the mainland. He harbors a long-standing, unrequited devotion to Sallie Lee and marries her to protect her when she is abandoned.

Sallie Lee is a careworn young mother who previously held a reputation for unmatched beauty. Cut off by her father after an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, she accepts a loveless marriage with Willis George as punishment for her past decisions.

Sugarnun is an attractive, smooth-talking man notorious for his philandering. He frequently seduces young women on the island, leaving a trail of broken hearts and abandoned responsibilities in his wake.

Evangeline is a wealthy white woman who previously employed Elizabeth. Despite her family's racist ties, she treats Elizabeth respectfully, supporting her education and viewing her more as a friend than a servant.

Genevieve is Evangeline's sister and the widow of Burton Devries, a notorious drafter of Jim Crow laws. Like her sister, she supports Elizabeth's educational pursuits and maintains a warm relationship with her.

Burton is a deceased, notoriously racist politician who drafted Jim Crow laws in Charleston. His cruel legacy casts a shadow over the mainland and deeply impacted the lives of Black citizens in the region.

Jackson is Haagar's great-grandfather, a descendant of white enslavers. He is a bitter, misogynistic old man who previously acted as an undercover informant against the civil rights movement and now lives in squalor.

Natalie is a young woman who works at a luxury boutique in Paris. She recognizes the commercial appeal of Elizabeth's handmade folk charms and offers her an opportunity to sell them internationally.

Carrie Mae is a spirited bar owner who entertains her patrons by hosting lively gatherings and sharing stories. She previously worked in Atlanta and maintains a pragmatic view of the world.

Yellow Mary is an attractive Peazant who left the island for the mainland. After surviving severe sexual violence and heartbreak, she eventually moved to Atlanta to run a brothel, becoming a controversial figure in her community.

Ol' Trent is an elderly, wandering man known for walking endlessly across Dawtuh Island. He preaches about the righteous being rewarded and evildoers being punished, carrying fragments of memories from a complicated past.

Boaz is an attractive man who guides Amelia to a safe place in the woods. He is a widower who openly admits his past shortcomings as a husband, demonstrating deep personal growth and a gentle demeanor.

Professor Colby is Amelia's academic advisor at Brooklyn College. He facilitates her fieldwork by securing funding from an anonymous benefactor, though his academic perspective often clashes with Amelia's protective instincts toward her family.

Baby Dell is a sex worker who visits the island. Her secret affair with Eli Peazant causes significant distress and leads to a violent confrontation with a fiercely protective Lucy Peazant.

Ayodele is the first Peazant to live on the Sea Islands. Known for her exceptional farming skills, she was sold into slavery as a child but left a profound spiritual legacy for her descendants through a lock of her hair.

Mr. Hammond is a rigid, prejudiced school board inspector. He views the island children contemptuously and strictly enforces a curriculum designed to limit their educational and socioeconomic advancement.

Dr. Buckley is a Black teacher on the mainland who understands how to operate within the oppressive educational system. He defends Elizabeth to the board and briefly mentors her.