Catharine is a 28-year-old freelance writer living in New York City who manages her anxiety through strict exercise routines and dietary rules. Raised on a remote, agricultural compound in central Florida, she has spent a decade fabricating a generic backstory to conceal her past. When an investigative journalist contacts her, she relies on careful performance and calculated deflection to protect the new life she has built.

Catharine's father is the leader of a remote, self-sufficient farming community in central Florida. He initially presents the farm as a sanctuary from the outside world, drawing people in with promises of shared work and physical discipline. Over time, he institutes extreme fasting routines, hidden weigh-ins, and public punishments to maintain authority over the residents.

Linna is Catharine's adopted sister, who grows up alongside her in the isolated Florida community. Bookish and perceptive, she turns the dining-hall stage into a makeshift library and shares a private treehouse sanctuary with Catharine. As she reaches her teenage years, Linna grows openly critical of the community's stagnation and rigid rules.

Reese is an award-winning investigative journalist researching the early-2000s communal compound where Catharine grew up. He is persistent and highly observant, constantly building mental maps of the people he interviews. His inquiry initiates a tense, strategic dynamic with Catharine as they maneuver for control of the narrative.

Lisa is Catharine's mother, who works the land alongside her husband during the farm's early, idyllic years. As the community grows more restrictive, she develops debilitating chronic headaches that are managed without conventional medical care. She attempts to quietly encourage Catharine to recognize options outside the farm's boundaries.

Stella is Catharine's closest friend in New York City, defined by her unfiltered honesty and willingness to admit her insecurities. She accepts the curated, stable persona Catharine projects and believes the fabricated stories Catharine tells about her past.

Holly is Linna's biological mother, who initially comes to the farm seeking an easier life for herself and her toddler. She experiences the community's shift from an agricultural collective into a highly controlled environment marked by extreme fasts.

Kent is a young resident on the farm who views the community's isolation with skepticism. He dreams of leaving the compound to build an independent life, putting him at odds with the farm's leadership.

Ben is an adult member of the farm community who sought an alternative lifestyle after facing disappointments elsewhere. He helps provide early stability for the children on the compound.

Bertie lives on the farm with Ben, acting as a supportive elder presence for Catharine and Linna during their younger years in the community.

Jessie is a classmate of Catharine and Linna on the farm. She frequently taunts the sisters and embraces the community's competitive, disciplinary atmosphere.

Marion Earl is a successful, reclusive author whose fiction resonates deeply with Catharine. Her writing features thematic similarities to Catharine's childhood and a specific handwriting quirk that captivates Catharine's attention.