Cedar Songmaker is a 26-year-old Native American woman who is four months pregnant and living in Minneapolis. Raised by liberal white adoptive parents, she edits a Catholic magazine called Zeal. As a mysterious biological crisis causes evolution to reverse and the government to aggressively target pregnant women, Cedar seeks out her biological Ojibwe family to gather medical history. She attempts to document the rapidly changing world in a diary, hoping to provide her child with a record of the past.

Sera Songmaker is Cedar's adoptive mother. She is a dedicated vegan with a highly organized, practical approach to life. As society destabilizes, Sera shifts into survival mode, strategizing to keep her family safe from the authoritarian groups taking power. Her relationship with Cedar is bound by genuine love, even when they disagree on religion and lifestyle choices.

Mary Potts, who goes by the nickname Sweetie, is Cedar's biological Ojibwe mother. She gave Cedar up for adoption as a teenager and now lives on a reservation near Minneapolis. A devout Catholic and a smoker, she runs a gas station called the Superpumper with her partner. She contrasts sharply with Cedar's adoptive mother, offering a more laid-back approach to life.

Glen Songmaker is Cedar's adoptive father. He supports his wife Sera in preparing for the escalating social crisis and worries intensely about Cedar's safety. He represents stability in Cedar's upbringing, though he occasionally struggles to communicate his fears directly to his daughter as the world falls apart.

Eddy is Mary Potts's partner on the Ojibwe reservation. He holds a doctorate from Harvard and previously attempted to reform the local school system. Currently battling severe depression, he works at the family gas station while writing a massive book detailing reasons not to commit suicide. The collapse of society gives him renewed purpose as he attempts to organize and protect the tribal community.

Phil is the father of Cedar's unborn child. They met at their Catholic church and conceived their child following a Christmas play. An ardent environmentalist with a history of breaking the law for ecological causes, Phil steps into a protective role when the government begins hunting pregnant women. He scavenges for supplies and purchases firearms, determined to be a hero in a collapsing world.

Mother is a mysterious, stern figure who appears unbidden on computer and television screens. Operating as a spokesperson for the Church of the New Constitution, she acts as the face of the rising religious fundamentalist government. She broadcasts demands for pregnant women to surrender themselves to authorities, masking aggressive control tactics behind a facade of maternal care.

Little Mary is Cedar's 16-year-old biological half-sister. She lives on the reservation and maintains a chaotically messy bedroom piled high with discarded clothes. She frequently changes her aesthetic and counters Cedar's attempts at conversation with defensive insults, though her mother claims she is actually a well-behaved student who abstains from substances.

Tia is a pregnant former textile designer navigating the harsh new restrictions placed on expectant mothers. She exhibits remarkable stoicism and resourcefulness, feigning silence to eavesdrop on authorities while secretly working on survival plans. She provides a model of quiet endurance during the biological apocalypse.

Mary Virginia is Cedar's biological grandmother. She uses a wheelchair and lives with her daughter on the Ojibwe reservation. She provides Cedar with historical context about the family's health and past, often sharing winding, metaphorical stories that carry deeper meanings about the family's legacy.

Agnes Starr is a pregnant woman detained by the new religious authorities. Unlike the more passive detainees, Agnes possesses a righteous fury, openly snarling at medical staff and demanding answers about the facility's true purpose. She actively searches for a way to break free from the government's grasp.

Jessie is a medical professional working within the newly repurposed hospital facilities. As the government clamps down on reproduction, she operates within the system while quietly monitoring the fate of the women placed under her care.

Orielee is a stern nurse screened and approved by the new religious authorities to work in the repurposed hospitals. She conducts unscheduled room searches and collects biological samples from pregnant women, representing the invasive monitoring implemented by the Church of the New Constitution.

Bernice initially presents herself as a pleasant representative of a group called the Uniters. In reality, she acts as an enforcer for the new authorities, hiding weapons inside domestic items and participating in the forced abduction of pregnant women.

Shawn is a civilian operating a recycling facility who actively resists the new fundamentalist government. He uses his job and resources to transport and hide individuals trying to evade the authorities, maintaining a secret network of safe locations.

Clay is Tia's husband. During the social upheaval and the government's targeting of pregnant women, he is separated from Tia but remains dedicated to establishing a safe route for them to reunite in California.

Miguel is a photographer employed within the government's converted prison facilities. He takes stylized portraits of the pregnant detainees, treating his subjects with an unsettling reverence as he documents them for the new regime's records.

Estrella is a woman who was arrested for shoplifting and subsequently placed in a government birthing facility. Subjected to the new laws regarding female reproduction, she tries to find small moments of peace by tending to plants in the prison yard.