Tiger is an athletic girl who feels torn between her working-class background, her love of baseball, and her desire to fit in with the popular students at school. She loves her parents deeply but feels acute embarrassment over their intellectual disabilities when out in public. She has slender features and red hair, making her feel self-conscious when comparing herself to other developing girls in her class.

Aunt Dorie Kay is Corrina's sister, an independent woman who left Saitter to build a career in Baton Rouge, where she goes by the name Doreen. She uses stylish clothing and makeup to reinvent herself in the city. She acts as an alternative role model for Tiger, encouraging her niece to seek opportunities outside their rural hometown and arranging for her housekeeper to assist the Parker family.

Jesse Wade is a boy from the wealthiest family in Saitter and Tiger's long-time best friend. Because his family owns the local plant nursery and he was sickly as a child, he grows up without having to do physical chores. He attempts to support Tiger as she faces social exclusion, though his awkward attempts at romance complicate their friendship.

Granny is Tiger's maternal grandmother and the primary manager of the Parker household. She is a practical, hardworking woman who offers blunt honesty and steady guidance to her granddaughter. Her tireless work ethic provides stability for Corrina and Lonnie, though she struggles to understand her other daughter's modern lifestyle choices.

Abby Lynn is widely considered the prettiest and most popular girl in Tiger's school. Coming from a wealthy family, she wears the newest clothes and hosts exclusive social events like swimming pool parties. She actively excludes Tiger from her social circle, representing the social conformity and class divides present in Saitter.

Corrina is Tiger's mother, a physically beautiful woman who sustained a childhood concussion that resulted in an intellectual disability. She loves television and displays an innocent affection for her family. She relies heavily on her mother for daily structure and guidance.

Lonnie is Tiger's father, who also has an intellectual disability. He works exceptionally hard at the Thompson family's plant nursery and possesses an intuitive connection to the natural world. He observes the behavior of animals and subtle changes in the environment to accurately predict the weather.

Magnolia is a Black woman employed as Aunt Dorie Kay's housekeeper. She travels from Baton Rouge to Saitter to help the Parker family manage their household chores during the summer. She shares a pragmatic approach to hard work that reminds Tiger of Granny, and she gently introduces Tiger to the realities of racial discrimination.

Otis is a Black man who works at the Thompson family's plant nursery alongside Tiger's father. He lives in Saitter and raises his children in the rural community.

Minnie is Otis's daughter. Unlike Tiger's white classmates who laugh at Corrina, Minnie and her brother offer a friendly wave to Tiger and her mother when they face public embarrassment.

Abner is Otis's son. He passes by the schoolyard and waves kindly at Tiger and her mother during a moment when they face public embarrassment.