Nemecia is a teenager who moves in with her extended family following a violent domestic incident at her own home. She experiences severe trauma in her early youth, which leaves her emotionally scarred. She creates a theatrical persona, wears dark makeup, and collects pristine porcelain dolls. Her unresolved anger often causes tension in the household.

Maria is a young girl growing up in a close-knit New Mexican community. She feels overshadowed by her cousin Nemecia, who receives favorable treatment from Maria's parents despite disruptive behavior. Maria struggles to understand the adult secrets in her family.

Monica is a working-class woman originally from Santa Fe. She lives in a rundown trailer park in the Mojave Desert with her geologist husband and two daughters. She longs for an upscale, intellectual lifestyle and feels out of place among her impoverished neighbors. She reads classic literature publicly to project an image of refinement.

Amadeo is an unemployed 33-year-old man living with his mother. He has a reputation for irresponsibility and avoiding adult duties. His uncle selects him to play Jesus in the local Easter procession. He approaches the role with intense ambition, hoping to use real nails during the performance to earn the respect of his community.

Angel is Amadeo's teenage daughter. Following a fight with her mother, she seeks refuge at her grandmother's house. Despite her youth and her advanced pregnancy, she attends parenting classes and focuses on finishing her education. She shows a genuine desire to connect with her estranged father.

Frances is a 16-year-old girl traveling by bus to attend the annual Fiestas. She desperately wants to appear glamorous and mysterious to strangers. She reads classic novels to project an intellectual image and feels embarrassed by her family's working-class status. She plans to attend college to escape her small-town roots.

Jeff is a New York resident who returns home for his grandmother's funeral. He feels frustrated by the state of his grandmother's house and the lack of care his local relatives provided. He holds deep-seated anger toward his abusive father and reacts with intense hostility when the man reappears in their lives.

Brooke lives near her grandmother's property. She considers renting the house for extra income rather than selling it. When her estranged father appears, she displays a willingness to listen to his excuses. She wants to believe his claims of having cared for their grandmother.

Claire is a 10-year-old girl growing up in a secular household. She is the only atheist in her school and frequently clashes with her peers over religious differences. She attempts to integrate into the community by feigning an interest in conversion. She feels disconnected from her academic stepfather and her volatile biological father.

Andrea is a Mexican American college student who recently completed her first year at Stanford. She grew up on the agricultural estate of the wealthy Lowell family, whom her parents revere. She harbors deep resentment toward the landowners over their inherited wealth. She constantly worries about how her ethnicity and class background affect others' perceptions of her.

Parker is a Stanford student from an affluent, land-owning family. She moves through the world with the ease of inherited privilege. She attempts to make friendly conversation with her peers. She remains largely unaware of the deep class-based resentment directed at her by the daughter of her family's employee.

Crystal is an unmarried teenager in the third trimester of a twin pregnancy. She works as a receptionist at her local Catholic church, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. She faces constant judgment from the conservative members of her parish but maintains a kind and non-judgmental demeanor. She struggles to reconcile her active social life with the expectations of her workplace.

Margaret is an elderly artist who retires to a home outside Santa Fe. She waits for her husband to finish his legal career in Connecticut. She views the local culture through an exoticized lens and makes well-intentioned but prejudiced assumptions about the residents. She works on a painting of King Canute to combat her feelings of purposelessness.

Carmen is a housekeeper in her early 40s. She takes a job cleaning for a new retiree in the area. She supports an adult son who struggles with addiction and frequently relies on her for money and transportation. She tolerates her employer's awkward assumptions with politeness but fiercely defends her own family when threatened.

Ofelia is an 11-year-old girl living in a tiny New Mexican hamlet. She suffers from an undiagnosed illness that she attributes to a supernatural curse. Her mother abandoned her seven years prior, leaving her in the care of her grandfather. She observes strangers closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of the parent who left her behind.

Eliot is a PhD student studying geology. He moves his family into a remote desert trailer park to collect samples for his academic work. He focuses intensely on his research and remains largely oblivious to his wife's unhappiness with their living conditions.

Nancy is Frances's cousin, living in Santa Fe. She is socially adept, popular, and comfortable in the chaotic environment of the Fiestas. She draws the attention of local boys and easily participates in the all-night parties, contrasting sharply with her cousin's awkwardness.

Victor is Jeff and Brooke's estranged father. He has a history of substance abuse and domestic violence. Following the death of his mother, he emerges from the property's guest house and asks his children for permission to continue living there. He keeps terrariums filled with rats and a pregnant boa constrictor.

Patsy is Morgan's mother and a member of the local Latter-day Saint community. She chaperones the girls on a short trip. She struggles with her marriage and copes with stress through secret alcohol consumption. She projects a youthful, fun image but becomes aggressive and hypocritical when intoxicated.

Father Paul is a priest at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. He is known for his benevolence and his gentle approach to his parishioners. He refuses to judge Crystal for her unwed pregnancy, opting instead to offer her prayer cards. He struggles with his own personal demons and relies heavily on Crystal for emotional support.

Ruben is Carmen's adult son. He struggles with alcohol addiction and fails to meet his parenting responsibilities. He frequently borrows his mother's car and relies on her financial support. He acts with explosive aggression when his authority or independence is challenged.