Mia is a transient artist and single mother who arrives in Shaker Heights seeking to finally settle down. She works various odd jobs, including a part-time housekeeping position, to fund her artistic projects and provide for her daughter. Unconventional and observant, Mia operates outside the strict social norms of her new community, drawing both fascination and suspicion from the locals.

Pearl is Mia's teenage daughter, a quiet and bookish girl who has spent her entire life moving from town to town. Craving stability and a conventional teenage experience, she is quickly captivated by the wealthy, orderly lifestyle of the Richardson family. Her desire to fit in leads her to adopt new habits and seek the approval of her new friends, occasionally straining her bond with her mother.

Elena is a lifelong resident of Shaker Heights and a local journalist who firmly believes in the town's principles of order and proper behavior. She lives a highly structured, successful life with her husband and four teenage children. Her initial charitable impulse to rent her property to a struggling artist soon transforms into an escalating drive to maintain control over her family and community.

Izzy is the rebellious youngest child of the Richardson family. Misunderstood by her parents and siblings, she frequently acts out against perceived injustices in her school and community. She finds a rare source of acceptance and mentorship in her family's new tenant, learning to channel her frustrations into creative, albeit disruptive, actions.

Lexie is the eldest Richardson daughter, a popular and confident high school senior bound for Yale. She enjoys her privileged status in Shaker Heights and takes an immediate interest in giving Pearl a makeover. Underneath her polished exterior, she faces teenage pressures and makes decisions that challenge her seemingly perfect life.

Moody is the sensitive, observant younger son of the Richardson family. He is the first to seek out the new tenants on Winslow Road and quickly becomes enamored with Pearl. He introduces her to his family, hoping to secure her friendship, but struggles with jealousy as she integrates into his siblings' lives.

Trip is the handsome, athletic, and popular older son of the Richardson family. He effortlessly maneuvers through the social hierarchy of Shaker Heights high school. His casual charm catches the attention of Pearl, pulling her further into the orbit of the Richardson siblings.

Mr. Richardson is Elena's husband, a successful lawyer who shares his wife's commitment to the orderly, affluent lifestyle of Shaker Heights. He uses his professional expertise to support his friends in the community, firmly aligning himself with the town's wealthy establishment during local conflicts.

Bebe is a young Chinese immigrant working at the Lucky Palace restaurant with Mia. After being abandoned by her husband and suffering a severe postpartum breakdown, she made a desperate decision regarding her infant daughter. Having recovered her strength, she is now fiercely trying to locate and reconnect with her child.

Mrs. McCullough is a close friend of Elena Richardson and a wealthy resident of Shaker Heights. After struggling with infertility, she and her husband adopt an abandoned baby girl. She firmly believes that her ability to provide a stable, affluent home makes her the rightful mother of the child.

Mirabelle, originally named May Ling, is an infant who becomes the focal point of a massive custody dispute in Shaker Heights. Abandoned at a firehouse during her birth mother's mental health crisis, she is quickly taken in by a wealthy local family, sparking a debate over class, race, and rightful parenthood.

Mr. McCullough is a wealthy resident of Shaker Heights who adopts a baby with his wife. He relies heavily on the law and his social standing to protect his new family when their adoption is challenged.

Joseph is a wealthy man from New York whose past interactions with a young art student have lasting ramifications. His intense desire for a child initiates a chain of events that shapes the future.

Madeleine is Joseph's wife, a woman who longs for a child but cannot carry one herself. Her physical resemblance to a young art student makes a unique arrangement seem ideal to her and her husband.

Brian is Lexie Richardson's boyfriend. He is a high school student whose relationship with Lexie is generally solid until unspoken secrets begin to create a distance between them.

Ed Lim is the lawyer representing a Chinese immigrant mother in her fight to regain custody of her daughter. He employs rigorous questioning regarding cultural fluency and race, forcing the affluent residents of Shaker Heights to confront their own blind spots.

Mrs. Peters is an orchestra teacher at the local high school. Her discriminatory remarks toward a Black student prompt a defiant act of sabotage, setting off a chain reaction of creative retaliation.

George is Mia's estranged father. He lives in Pennsylvania and strongly objects to the unconventional choices his daughter makes regarding her future and her body.

Regina is Mia's estranged mother. Like her husband, she refuses to support her daughter's decisions, leading to a permanent fracture in their family dynamic.

Warren is Mia's brother whose sudden death in a car crash serves as a tragic turning point in his sister's life, finalizing her break from her parents.

Pauline is an acclaimed photographer who acts as a mentor to a young art student in New York. She provides critical artistic guidance and emotional support, taking a defining photograph that later surfaces in Shaker Heights.