An unnamed young couple escaping the repressive Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1600s. The young man possesses a deep kinship with nature, while the young woman is fleeing a betrothal to an abusive minister. Together they seek sanctuary in the untouched wilderness, establishing the original cabin in the north woods.

A young Puritan mother abducted alongside her infant son during a violent raid. Frightened and feverish, she is left at a remote cabin inhabited by an elderly English woman. Steeped in Puritan doctrine, she initially views her rescuer with intense suspicion but slowly learns to trust the natural wisdom offered to her.

An English soldier whose life is miraculously spared in battle when an enemy's bayonet strikes an apple in his pocket. Convinced this is a sign of providence, he develops a lifelong obsession with apple cultivation. He moves to western Massachusetts to establish an orchard, searching for the perfect wild apple variety to build his legacy upon.

Charles Osgood's identical twin daughter, widely regarded as possessing an indefinable charm. She plays the fife and dreams of romance and leaving her isolated life behind. Despite her aspirations to build a family of her own, she remains tethered to the orchard out of loyalty and guilt regarding her sister.

Alice's identical twin sister, characterized by a pragmatic and fiercely protective disposition. She plays the piano, oversees the business operations of the Osgood orchard, and maintains a strict adherence to her father's rules. Deeply fearful of abandonment, she actively works to thwart any potential suitors who might take her sister away.

A highly successful nature painter drawn to the pristine beauty of western Massachusetts. He seeks to capture the shifting seasons of the forest on canvas while expanding the property for his family. Beneath his domestic life, he harbors a deep, consuming passion for a fellow artist.

Farnsworth's granddaughter, a vulnerable and chronically anxious woman trying to manage a deteriorating estate. Seeking emotional security, she volunteers for a benevolent society corresponding with prison inmates, searching for a strong figure to rescue her from her isolation.

Lillian's son, a young man who experiences profound auditory and visual hallucinations. He believes that civilization is rupturing and that he must repair the earth through ritualistic, "stitching" walks across the forest. He maintains a unique, overwhelming connection to the history and spirits of the terrain.

An Indigenous man who marries the young woman who settled the north woods. He shares a peaceful life with her in the wilderness until his eventual passing, helping cement her strong ties to the local Indigenous community.

Three armed men tracking hostages taken during an Indigenous raid. They bring violence and cruelty into the peaceful north woods, threatening both the inhabitants of the cabin and the nearby Indigenous village.

Charles Osgood's faithful companion in the British Army. He rescues the major during the Battle of Quebec and ensures he receives medical attention.

A medical doctor summoned by Osgood's siblings to cure the major of his sudden, overwhelming fixation on apples. His quack remedies prove entirely ineffective.

The local minister and schoolteacher. Though noted as a poor educator, his position connects the Osgood family to the wider community of the town.

The amusing son of the local minister who befriends the Osgood sisters during their childhood. He shows them hidden parts of the woods and introduces them to Indigenous healers. He leaves the area to travel the globe but eventually returns to his family's farm as a well-meaning but hapless agriculturalist.

An Indigenous healer who knows the deep history of the north woods property but chooses to keep its secrets to himself when interacting with the new residents.

An eighteen-year-old woman who escapes a Maryland plantation with her infant. Traveling stealthily along the Underground Railroad, she seeks to reunite with her husband in Canada. Resourceful and determined, she uses the abandoned property in the north woods as a temporary sanctuary from the dangers pursuing her.

A bounty hunter hired to track and capture Esther. Disgusted by parts of his profession but driven by the payment, he methodically questions locals and investigates properties. His search eventually leads him to the mysterious yellow house in the north woods.

William Henry Teale's wife, who feels the rustic yellow house is not grand enough to receive company. She insists on building an addition to the property, unaware of her husband's secret correspondence.

A prominent and widely celebrated author known as the "American Goethe." He travels to the north woods to visit Teale, sharing an intense, private bond with the painter that threatens both of their public reputations and marriages.

Erasmus Nash's wife, whose suspicions force the two men to resort to elaborate subterfuge to maintain their communication.

A fifty-four-year-old Portuguese immigrant hired to care for an aging and injured William Henry Teale. She meticulously restores order to the neglected house and finds herself enchanted by her patient's vast knowledge of the surrounding forest.

A wealthy, bombastic button manufacturer with grand ambitions of creating a private hunting lodge. Proud of his hunting trophies and eager to host high-profile guests, he dismisses his wife's anxieties about the house and remains entirely focused on his commercial and social aspirations.

Mr. Farnsworth's frail and timid wife. She becomes deeply distraught by ghostly apparitions in the house, prompting the hiring of a medium to address the supernatural disturbances.

An experienced mystic who has worked in the business of staged spiritualism for thirty years. Cynical and pragmatic, she views her séances as pure theater designed to comfort wealthy clients, entirely disbelieving in the supernatural until her visit to the north woods challenges her worldview.

Lillian's daughter and Robert's younger sister. Pragmatic and grounded, she strongly dislikes the dark, isolated nature of the north woods. She struggles to bridge the gap between her conventional life as a literature professor and her brother's profound eccentricities.

A medical professional who evaluates Robert for a potential lobotomy. He documents Robert's complex delusions about repairing the earth, while simultaneously trying to fend off Lillian's inappropriate advances.

A career criminal and prison inmate who deceptively corresponds with Lillian. He manipulates her trusting nature by claiming to be her missing son, intending to exploit her vulnerability.

A true crime columnist based in New York who investigates a strange, violent incident at Lillian's north woods property. His reporting uncovers ancient bones that hint at the land's dark past.

An elderly, amateur historian with a heart condition and a passion for local mysteries. Undeterred by recent social scandals, he becomes obsessed with deciphering a cryptic historical document and locating unmarked graves hidden somewhere on the old Farnsworth property.

A dedicated botanist in her postdoctoral fellowship who travels to western Massachusetts to research briefly flowering spring plants. Having overcome severe depression through her study of nature, she views the forest's constant ecological succession as a profound source of personal comfort.