Junie is a sixteen-year-old enslaved housemaid living on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama. Having lost both her parents and her older sister, she is fiercely attached to her surviving family members and terrified of being separated from them. She possesses a deep love for literature, privately reading poetry and fairy tales to soothe her anxieties.

Minnie is Junie's older sister who died the previous winter after rescuing Junie from a freezing river. In life, she was an obedient and hardworking individual who rarely complained. In death, she returns to Bellereine Plantation as a spirit to guide her younger sister.

Caleb is a seventeen-year-old coachman who accompanies the Taylor family on their visits from New Orleans. Born in the Caribbean and stolen from his mother as a child, he is deeply cynical about his circumstances and highly distrustful of white people. He quickly bonds with Junie over a shared love of reading.

Violet is the teenage daughter of the enslavers who run Bellereine Plantation. She grew up alongside Junie, teaching her to read and allowing her secret access to books. Facing her family's imminent financial ruin, Violet entertains a courtship with a wealthy merchant to save the estate.

Beau is a wealthy merchant from New Orleans who visits Bellereine to court Violet McQueen. Eager to secure a foothold in the cotton industry, he presents a charming exterior to the plantation owners while exhibiting extreme cruelty to the enslaved people. His potential marriage threatens to displace Junie from her family.

Grandaddy is Junie's grandfather and an enslaved man working at Bellereine Plantation. He provides Junie with steadfast emotional support and accepts her rebellious tendencies without judgment. He serves as a grounding presence when Junie becomes overwhelmed by the harsh realities of plantation life.

Innis is the matriarch of the McQueen family and co-owner of Bellereine. Desperate to save her family's estate from bankruptcy, she aggressively pushes for her daughter's advantageous marriage to a visiting merchant.

William is the patriarch of the McQueen family who runs the struggling Bellereine Plantation. He struggles with severe alcohol consumption and frequently argues with his wife over the mismanagement of their cotton business.

Beatrix is Beau's older sister who accompanies him on his courtship visit to Alabama. She initially acts cold toward her hosts but soon develops a fierce closeness with Violet over shared interests in music and literature.

Muh is Junie's grandmother who labors in the Bellereine cookhouse. Having lost her own daughter to the slave trade, she is deeply protective of her granddaughters and encourages Junie to remain hopeful despite the family's precarious situation.

Marilla is Junie's great-aunt and a fellow enslaved worker at Bellereine. She carries deep grief from having her husband sold away to another enslaver years prior, giving her a profound understanding of the emotional toll of family separation.

Bess is Junie's cousin who works alongside her at the plantation. Though she frequently complains about Junie dodging chores, she readily covers for her cousin's absences to protect her from punishment.

Charlotte is Junie and Minnie's deceased mother. She was sold to another enslaver when the girls were young, leaving a lasting wound on her surviving relatives who still frequently think of her.

George is Marilla's husband and Bess's father. He was forcibly separated from his family years ago when the McQueens sold him to another man, a traumatic event that still haunts his relatives.