Nick is a teenage boy who moves from blitz-torn London to his father's teak plantation, Hawk's Nest, in Burma. Having lived in Kansas and London with his mother, he feels somewhat out of place but possesses a strong inherited resilience known as "Freestone blood." After the Japanese invade Burma, he becomes a captive in his own ancestral home, forced to draw on his inner strength to survive.

Mya is Nang's beautiful and quiet daughter who has grown up at Hawk's Nest. Despite traditional community rules forbidding women from becoming mahouts, she possesses a natural talent for caring for and training elephants. She faces significant danger and subjugation when Japanese forces take over the plantation, forcing her to act as a servant.

Indaw is Nang's son and a highly skilled mahout at the teak plantation. Bubbly, full of stories, and deeply loyal, he breaks from tradition by supporting his sister's desire to work with elephants. When the Japanese forces arrive, his deep ties to the plantation and his family thrust him into immediate danger.

Jackson is Nick's father and the third-generation owner of the Hawk's Nest teak plantation. An empathetic employer and an advocate for Burmese independence, he has spent years quietly working against colonial oppression. When war reaches his doorstep, he prioritizes the safety of his family and workers over his own freedom.

Hilltop, also known as Taung Baw, is an ancient, legendary former mahout who left the plantation decades ago but returned to live as a monk. Said to be over a century old, he possesses an almost magical ability to communicate with elephants in their own language. He uses his wisdom, pacifism, and deep knowledge of the jungle to quietly protect the plantation's residents.

Colonel Nagayoshi is the commander in charge of the Japanese forces occupying Hawk's Nest. While he exhibits a brutal streak and demands strict obedience from his captives, he also displays unexpected moments of empathy due to his own family being held in an American internment camp. He treats Nick as a substitute for his absent son while maintaining an iron grip on the plantation.

Nang is the singoung, or foreman, of the Freestone teak plantation. He manages the business operations and oversees the other mahouts with kindness and authority. A loyal friend to Jackson Freestone, he firmly believes in Jackson's vision for the plantation and stands against those who welcome the invading armies.

Sergeant Sonji is an older, grey-haired Japanese soldier who acts as a stark contrast to the brutal military forces around him. A former professional gardener and haiku master, he views the war with reluctance and maintains a peaceful demeanor. He is assigned to oversee Nick and the plantation's gardens, offering quiet moments of humanity amid the conflict.

Magwe is a senior mahout who holds a deep generational grudge against the Freestones for not making him the plantation foreman. Believing that the Japanese will liberate Burma from British colonizers, he initially welcomes the invasion. He is fiercely independent and demands to be treated equally among his peers.

Bukong is the head of the household staff at Hawk's Nest. After a tiger attack involving the elephant Hannibal permanently injured his leg, his career as a mahout ended, leaving him bitter. He uses the Japanese invasion to usurp power in the house, eagerly aiding the occupiers to elevate his own status and assert control over the other servants.

Captain Moto is a high-ranking Japanese officer and avid tiger hunter. Characterized by his total lack of mercy and extreme brutality, he represents the most terrifying aspects of the invading forces, ruling through fear and violence.

Nick's mother works at the American Embassy in London during World War II. Traumatized by the brutal bombings in England and harboring past anxieties about the dangers of the Burmese jungle, she makes the difficult choice to send her son away, hoping the remote plantation will provide sanctuary.

The Sergeant Major is Nick's great-grandfather, a formidable figure who carved the teak plantation out of the untamed Burmese jungle. Though long deceased, his legacy permeates Hawk's Nest, particularly through the secret architecture he left behind and the indomitable "Freestone heart" passed down to his descendants.

Bernard is Nick's stepfather and an Army Intelligence officer. Working behind the scenes in the European theater of war, his true operations remain mysterious. He provides a stabilizing, if distant, presence in Nick's life before the move to Burma.

Kya Lei, whose name means "Tiger's Breath," is an elusive native Burman who operates as a modern-day Robin Hood in the jungle. Labeled a thief and traitor by colonial powers, he steals from the oppressors to feed starving villagers, moving like a ghost through the occupied territory.

Hannibal is a massive bull elephant on the plantation who was deeply traumatized by a tiger attack years ago. Highly unpredictable and dangerous, he is allowed to roam the forest wearing an iron warning bell, acting as a looming, wild presence that only the most skilled mahouts can approach safely.

Miss Pretty is a new, young elephant brought to the teak plantation. She represents the ongoing cycle of life and work at Hawk's Nest and provides Mya with a rare opportunity to practice her suppressed animal-training skills.