Trelawny is a young Jamaican American man born in Miami, Florida. Because he is light-skinned and lacks the Jamaican accent of his parents and older brother, he struggles to secure a firm sense of racial or cultural identity. Following the 2008 financial crash, he holds a degree in English but cannot find stable work, reducing him to living out of his bright red Dodge Raider and taking odd jobs from Craigslist.

Delano is Trelawny's older brother, born in Jamaica before the family immigrated to the United States. He retains a strong Jamaican cultural identity, heavily favoring reggae music and physically resembling their father. He works manual labor jobs, initially assisting his father in construction before starting his own landscaping business.

Topper is a Jamaican immigrant and general contractor attempting to establish his family in suburban Miami. Forced to abandon his artistic ambitions by his own father in Jamaica, he values practical, physical labor over academic pursuits. He finds American culture distasteful and heavily favors his older son, Delano, who shares his traditional Jamaican sensibilities.

Sanya is a Jamaican immigrant who works as a secretary to help support her family in Florida. She is lighter-skinned and holds specific preferences about who her sons should date, reflecting the complex racial attitudes of her home country. Her marriage is strained by her husband's erratic behavior and extended absences.

Cukie is the cousin of Trelawny and Delano. Raised solely by his mother in the Kendall neighborhood of Miami, he spends his summers in the Florida Keys hoping to build a relationship with his absentee father. He is observant, pragmatic, and eager to earn money to support his growing family.

Ox is Cukie's absentee father, a lobster fisherman and boat captain living in a tiki hut on Smuggler's Key. He perceives his former partner, Daphne, as an exotic novelty rather than an equal. He teaches his son how to trap lobsters to provide him with a fallback career, though his main income streams are highly questionable.

Daphne is Cukie's mother, raising him in south Miami. She works to provide stability for her son while maintaining a clear-eyed view of her former partner's significant flaws and unreliability.

Shelly-Ann is Delano's wife and the mother of their two sons. She grows increasingly frustrated with her husband's inability to maintain their standard of living after the 2008 economic crash and has little patience for his musical hobbies.

Chastity is a wealthy college student living with her parents in a large house. She posts an unusual Craigslist advertisement offering to pay someone to hit her in the face, which brings her into contact with Trelawny.

Tim is a wealthy man living in a condominium with his wife, Morgan. He pays Trelawny to participate in highly specific, racially charged voyeuristic arrangements in their home.

Morgan is Tim's wife. She coordinates with Trelawny regarding the couple's paid arrangements, often communicating specific requirements about how Trelawny should dress to emphasize his race and class.

Jelly is Trelawny's girlfriend later in his life. Her parents hold prejudiced views and strictly disapprove of her relationship with a Black man, causing severe limitations on where the couple can spend time together.

Carlos is an elderly resident at the Silver Towers independent living facility where Trelawny finds clerical employment. He acts as the primary caregiver for his bedridden wife and regularly avoids completing the facility's mandatory rental paperwork.

Nordic is Delano's neighbor and business associate. He pushes Delano to seek out emergency tree-clearing contracts and takes it upon himself to recruit extra crew members for the hazardous work.

Tina is a property manager in Delano's neighborhood. She controls the municipal contracts for emergency tree removal and uses her professional position to make inappropriate advances toward Delano.

Happy is the marina manager at Smuggler's Key. He operates a boat and collaborates closely with Ox on various excursions away from the docks.

Genie is Happy's daughter. She spends time around the marina and catches Cukie's attention during his fourth summer working in the Keys.

Lianne is a South Beach bartender who becomes Cukie's partner. She loses her job when her pregnancy begins to show, putting severe financial pressure on their growing family.

Mikey is a drug user and former crew member recruited by Nordic to assist with emergency tree removal ahead of a major storm.

Rusty is a mechanic who holds Delano's bucket truck hostage due to an unpaid repair bill, severely impacting Delano's ability to earn a living.

Double is the family dog adopted by Trelawny and Delano. Because Topper and Delano object to neutering him, the dog frequently attempts to roam outside the house.

Brandon is one of Delano and Shelly-Ann's young sons. His parents' deteriorating relationship significantly impacts his living situation.

Hayden is Delano and Shelly-Ann's other son. Like his brother, he becomes caught in the middle of his parents' economic and marital strife.