Emma is a 67-year-old mother of 11 from Gallia County, Ohio. She sets out on an unprecedented solo thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail carrying minimal gear in a homemade denim sack. Her physical stamina, learned through decades of farm labor, masks a private history of enduring severe domestic violence. She relies on sheer resourcefulness, wearing canvas sneakers and sleeping outdoors or in strangers' homes.

Ben is an investigative journalist who reconstructs Emma's 2,050-mile journey and life history. He combines archival research, trail diaries, and interviews with surviving family members to document her accomplishment. He physically hikes sections of the trail to grasp the bodily reality of her undertaking.

Perry, often referred to as P.C., is a tobacco farmer and former mayor of Crown City, Ohio. He maintains a public facade of small-town respectability that entirely conceals his violent nature at home. His relentless physical and emotional abuse of Emma spans decades and forces her to seek refuge in the woods.

Mary is a reporter who becomes uniquely invested in Emma's story. She intermittently joins Emma on the trail, sharing meals and arranging transportation when necessary. She serves as a crucial connection between Emma's isolated trek and the fascinated American public, helping to catapult the older woman to national fame.

Nelson is one of Emma and Perry's 11 children. Growing up in a turbulent household, he takes a stand against his father's violence at age 15. He later serves in the military and is wounded in the Philippines.

Louise is one of Emma's daughters. She witnesses her father's abuse firsthand as a child. Later in life, she participates in the annual winter hikes honoring her mother, carrying Emma's walking stick to the events.

Lucy is another of Emma's daughters. She serves as a primary recipient of Emma's correspondence, receiving letters during Emma's initial 1937 flight to California and postcards from the Appalachian Trail. She actively works to protect and clarify her mother's historical legacy.

David is a white parish leader from Harlem who brings a group of young Black men to the Appalachian Trail. They shelter with Emma during the catastrophic Connie and Diane hurricanes, providing mutual aid during the extreme weather.

Harold is a young former Navy man hiking the trail with his friend Steve Sargent. They carry heavy 55-pound packs and struggle through the rain, ultimately providing crucial physical assistance to Emma at a dangerous river crossing.

Steve is a young hiker and Navy veteran crossing the flooded New England landscape. He teams up with Harold Bell to form a human chain using parachute cord to safely transport Emma across the chest-deep Clarendon Gorge.

Mrs. Chase is a United Press reporter who covers the final stretch of Emma's journey in Maine. She photographs Emma and Mary Snow and helps document the completion of the 2,050-mile hike for national audiences.

Paul is a trail supervisor for Baxter State Park. He ensures historical accuracy and environmental protection as he leads the author up the challenging Hunt Trail toward Mount Katahdin.

Jennifer is Ben Montgomery's wife. She participates in his experiential research, experiencing the physical demands of the trail firsthand and sustaining an ankle injury on the rocky terrain.

Mr. Vose is a forest warden in Maine who tracks Emma down after reading about her in the newspaper. He provides her with shelter in his warm cabin and advises her about hurricane-damaged trail conditions ahead.

Rowena is one of Emma's daughters. She bears the psychological weight of witnessing the severe domestic abuse inflicted upon her mother during her childhood.

Robert is one of Emma's sons. After fleeing legal trouble at home, he joins the army and becomes a German Prisoner of War, eventually returning home gaunt and pale.

Esther is one of Emma's 11 children, maintaining family ties as her mother becomes a national celebrity.

Monroe is one of Emma's sons. He demonstrates a casual confidence in his mother's physical endurance, joking to the press that she could easily walk the remaining distance home.

Earl is a World War II veteran who hiked the Appalachian Trail to process the loss of a friend. His initial journey highlighted the poor conditions of the post-war trail, setting the stage for the route Emma encounters.