Lila is an enigmatic, guarded woman living in Gilead, Iowa. Having survived a perilous childhood on the road with a group of migrant laborers, she instinctively mistrusts others and anticipates abandonment. Her eventual marriage to an elderly pastor offers unprecedented stability, but she struggles to reconcile her isolated past with her secure present. She spends much of her time alone in her room, reading the Bible and parsing through her memories.

John is the elderly, purehearted preacher of a church in Gilead who carries a lingering grief over the loss of his first wife and infant child. He approaches his congregation and neighbors with humility, readily admitting when he lacks theological answers. His gentle persistence and refusal to judge Lila gradually create a safe harbor for her.

Doll is a rough-edged woman who functions as Lila's sole caretaker during her formative years. Carrying a distinctive knife and surviving the harsh realities of itinerant life, she possesses a fierce protective instinct toward the child she rescued. Her devotion shapes Lila's entire understanding of loyalty.

Doane serves as an informal leader to a small band of migrant workers trying to survive by moving from town to town. The financial strain of the road steadily wears on him, leading to increasingly volatile behavior that eventually scatters the group.

Marcelle is a transient laborer married to Doane. She endures the difficult conditions of migrant life and the escalating harshness of her husband's temper as work becomes scarce.

Mellie is a young woman who travels with Doane's group. She possesses a more extroverted and spirited disposition than Lila, though they share the collective hardships of sleeping outdoors and seeking field work.

Arthur is one of the migrant laborers who traverses the countryside seeking employment alongside Lila's caretakers. Like the others, he scatters when the group's stability collapses.

Mrs. Graham is a resident of Gilead who interacts with Lila shortly after the younger woman moves into the nearby abandoned cabin. She provides Lila with fresh clothing and employs her to help with the household laundry.

Louisa is Reverend John Ames's late first wife. Though she passes away long before Lila arrives in Gilead, her memory and the loss of her infant child heavily influence the reverend's solitary life.

Missy is a young woman working at the St. Louis brothel who becomes pregnant. Her predicament inspires Lila to concoct a desperate plan to steal the infant once it is born, though Missy's sudden departure ruins this idea.

Mack is a patron or associate in St. Louis who interacts with Lila during her time there. Though Lila initially hopes he might offer genuine favor, she realizes he views her with the same pitying detachment as he does the other women.

Reverend Boughton is a fellow minister and close peer of John Ames in the town of Gilead. He steps in to perform the wedding ceremony for John and Lila, anchoring their union within the community's ecclesiastical traditions.

Mrs. is the pragmatic operator of a brothel in St. Louis. She provides Lila with a roof over her head and a means of survival when Lila is entirely destitute, taking custody of Lila's few possessions for safekeeping.

The boy is a young, frightened fugitive seeking shelter in the same dilapidated cabin Lila once occupied. Carrying the heavy burden of a violent altercation with his father, he mirrors Lila's own traumatic past and prompts a rare moment of empathy from her.