Edana "Dana" Franklin is a 26-year-old Black writer living in 1976 Los Angeles. She inexplicably time travels to antebellum Maryland whenever a young white boy named Rufus faces mortal danger. Thrust into a brutal reality, she poses as an enslaved person and relies on her modern education to survive a society that views her as property. She wants to ensure her own family lineage continues while attempting to impart basic morality to the boy who summons her.

Rufus Weylin is the white heir to a Maryland plantation in the early 1800s. He possesses an unexplained ability to pull Dana through time whenever he fears for his life. Although he displays flashes of youthful innocence, he is heavily shaped by the deeply entrenched racism of his parents and society. He expects the adults around him to cater to his demands and views his enslaved peers through a lens of inherited superiority.

Kevin Franklin is a published author and Dana's white husband. When he accidentally travels with her to the 1800s, he masquerades as a traveling slaveowner to keep her safe. His identity as a white man shields him from the physical dangers of the antebellum South. This privilege creates a severe experiential gap between him and his wife as they experience the same time period in drastically different ways.

Alice Greenwood is a freeborn Black girl living near the Weylin property. She serves as a direct ancestor to Dana and shares a striking physical resemblance to the modern woman. Growing up in the shadow of the plantation, she develops a fierce desire for independence. She openly rejects the subservient roles expected of her and fights aggressively to protect her family.

Tom Weylin is the patriarch of the plantation. He is a strict enforcer of the antebellum social order who manages his property with regular physical violence. He views educated Black people as a direct threat to his authority. He adheres to a rigid code of Southern honor that dictates his interactions with white guests while justifying his cruelty toward his workers.

Margaret Weylin is the mistress of the plantation. She spoils her son excessively to compensate for her husband's cold demeanor. She is deeply insecure and volatile, frequently taking her frustrations out on the people enslaved in her household. She despises Dana upon sight and uses her authority to make the woman's daily life miserable.

Sarah is the head cook at the plantation. She presents an outwardly submissive demeanor to the white owners while privately harboring deep resentment for the abuses she has suffered. She acts as a pragmatic mentor to newcomers, explaining the unspoken rules of survival and the harsh realities of their captivity.

Carrie is an enslaved worker on the plantation and Sarah's only remaining child. She has a speech disorder that prevents her from speaking aloud. She communicates effectively through precise gestures and facial expressions. She uses her silence as a form of protection while secretly aspiring to learn more about the world.

Nigel is an enslaved youth who grows up alongside the plantation heir. Although they start as childhood playmates, the inherent inequalities of their society force them into rigid roles as they mature. Nigel harbors a strong ambition for freedom and correctly views literacy as a powerful tool for escape.

Luke is the Black overseer of the enslaved people on the property. He occupies a precarious middle ground. He holds a small degree of authority over the other workers while remaining property himself. He attempts to use this minor leverage to protect his son from the worst abuses of the system.

Isaac is an enslaved man who shares a deep bond with Alice Greenwood. He is deeply devoted to his partner and willing to risk his own life to defend her from the predations of white men. His actions reflect the desperate measures required to maintain family connections under an oppressive system.

Jake Edwards is a white overseer hired to manage the enslaved workforce. He relies heavily on intimidation and the whip to maintain productivity. He embodies the everyday brutality necessary to keep the agricultural system functioning.

Evan Fowler is another white overseer employed on the property. He enforces the exhausting physical labor of the field hands with unrelenting harshness. He views the workers purely as machines for agricultural output.

Sam James is an enslaved man working on the property. He expresses a polite romantic interest in Dana. He values education and asks for her help in teaching his family, unaware of the dangerous jealousy this will provoke from the white men in power.