Nikki is a 39-year-old real estate agent living in Washington, DC. She feels adrift in her career and struggles with a lack of direction in her personal life. When her grandmother calls asking for help, Nikki travels to North Carolina to understand what caused the deep rift in her family. Initially skeptical of local history, she soon begins researching her family's past and their connection to a post-war settlement called the Kingdom of the Happy Land.

Luella is a 20-year-old formerly enslaved woman. Faced with the threat of racist violence, she and several families travel into the hills of North Carolina to establish a safe community. She is forward-thinking and works hard to support her people. Her leadership skills emerge as she advocates for the women in the newly formed Kingdom of the Happy Land.

Mother Rita is Nikki's 78-year-old grandmother. She is a stubborn, hard-working woman who maintains an immaculate home and tends a massive garden. She sells flowers in town and holds a fierce attachment to her ancestral land. Dealing with declining health, she urgently contacts Nikki to help protect her property from an impending eviction.

Lorelle is Nikki's mother. At age 18, she left her rural North Carolina home for Washington, DC, to escape her past and build an independent life. She works a government job and prefers to ignore her family's history. She maintains a strict silence regarding the reasons for her eight-year feud with her mother.

William is an ambitious leader who guides a group of formerly enslaved people away from the dangers of the post-war South. He envisions creating an independent kingdom modeled after African societies, completely separated from white Southern culture. He serves as the community's first king, though his strict approach to leadership extends into his household.

Robert is William's younger brother. He possesses a kind, compassionate demeanor that contrasts with his brother's aggressive leadership style. He strongly supports the community's women, helping them build workspaces and advocating for their representation on the ruling council.

Papa is Luella's father and a formerly enslaved man who acts as a minister for his community. He provides spiritual guidance and supports the difficult decision to migrate to North Carolina for safety and better opportunities.

Shawnie is Nikki's 19-year-old daughter. She recently graduated from high school and works part-time at a bakery. Her lack of a clear plan for the future causes her mother concern.

Bryan is a local resident who works at the library in town. He possesses extensive knowledge about local history, genealogy, and birdwatching. He provides Nikki with research materials and encouragement as she investigates her ancestry.

Al is a resident of North Carolina whose family owns land adjacent to Mother Rita's property. His family's recent legal actions regarding the boundaries create significant conflict in the present timeline.

Jessica is Al Thomas's wife. She welcomes Nikki into her home and treats her with warmth. She expresses discomfort with the ongoing property dispute between her husband's family and Mother Rita.

Maddie is a neighbor and friend to Mother Rita. She assists with cutting and selling flowers at the local market. She possesses knowledge about the Lovejoy family's internal conflicts and encourages Nikki to demand answers about the property.

Stephen is Maddie's young grandson. He assists the women early in the morning by preparing flowers for the market.

R.J. is a lawyer practicing in North Carolina. Her ancestors also lived in the Kingdom of the Happy Land. She provides Nikki with crucial information about heirs' property laws and the systemic challenges Black landowners face regarding generational wealth.

Darius is Nikki's ex-husband and a fellow real estate agent. He maintains an amicable relationship with Nikki, offering her a sympathetic ear and practical advice regarding her family's land crisis.

Widow Davis is a white woman who owns an inn. Struggling to find help after her husband's death, she allows the newly arrived Black community to live in old quarters and work her fields, providing the initial space for their settlement.

Jola is a resident of the Kingdom of the Happy Land and a close friend to Luella. She works directly with Luella to develop and bottle an herbal liniment, generating vital income for their community.

Rachel is a woman in the kingdom who helps produce the healing liniment. She informs Luella that the community's women continue to view her as their queen and leader.

Eliza is one of the kingdom's residents who assists in the community's financial efforts by producing herbal remedies alongside Luella.

Ursula is Robert and William's sister. She was separated from her brothers during enslavement, causing them to carry the weight of her absence as they built their new lives.

Weaver is a white lawyer who handles real estate transactions for the kingdom. The community later relies on him for legal representation during a crisis.

Wade is Luella's son, raised within the Kingdom of the Happy Land. He grows up in the community and later requires legal assistance after an incident involving farm animals.

Sunny is Luella's daughter, formally named Cordelia but given a nickname for her love of the sun. She grows up in the kingdom and eventually prepares to marry a young man named Vernon.

Vernon is a young man who wishes to marry Sunny. He initially expresses a desire to move away from the kingdom to start a new life, a plan that causes Luella some concern.