A mute, four-year-old girl mysteriously pulled from the freezing Thames River. Initially presumed dead, her inexplicable revival transforms her into a local legend. Because she does not speak and lacks clear identifying features, she becomes a blank canvas claimed by three entirely different families.

A highly skilled, independent nurse living in Radcot. Raised in a nunnery and born via Cesarean section, she relies on science and medical logic over the community's superstitions. She is fiercely dedicated to her profession but privately harbors a deep fear of childbirth.

A large photographer who embraces the new science of photography. After surviving a severe boat crash on the river, he recovers and converts a new boat into a mobile photography studio, traveling the Thames to document its people and unravel the mystery of the drowned girl.

The wife of a wealthy landowner. She exists in a debilitating state of mourning following the disappearance of her two-year-old daughter, Amelia. Desperate for closure, she instantly and fiercely claims the rescued girl as her own flesh and blood.

A wealthy landowner deeply troubled by his wife's unyielding depression. Though he supports Helena's joy at finding the girl, he privately harbors significant doubts about the child's true identity and carries heavy secrets regarding the night his daughter disappeared.

A principled, multiracial farmer known for his gentle way with animals. Raised on the margins of two distinct social worlds, he places immense value on family bonds and actively seeks out his estranged son's missing daughter, believing the river girl might be his granddaughter.

An older, socially isolated housekeeper working at the local parsonage. She suffers from a severe fear of water and chronic nightmares about her deceased sister, leading her to illogically insist that the four-year-old river girl is her long-lost sibling.

Robert and Bess's estranged, charismatic eldest son. He lives a lavish, dishonest lifestyle in Oxford and frequently manipulates others for financial gain, showing little concern for his abandoned wife or his missing daughter.

Lily's cruel and controlling stepbrother. A small man who hides in oversized coats, he runs an illegal liquor distillery on Brandy Island and regularly subjects his stepsister to financial manipulation and physical abuse.

A resilient farmer's wife who wears a patch over her right eye. She is fiercely protective of her younger children and relies on her sharp intuition, which she considers a magical 'Seeing' eye, to discern the true intentions of those around her.

The capable and authoritative landlady of the Swan inn. She expertly manages her bustling tavern, her large family of thirteen children, and the sudden influx of patrons desperate to hear the latest rumors about the river girl.

Margot's elderly husband and a preeminent storyteller at the Swan inn. He spends much of his old age sleeping but remains deeply respected for his narrative skills and his historical knowledge of the river's legends.

Margot and Joe's fifteen-year-old son, described by locals as physically unique. He possesses a gentle, literal mind and struggles to craft fictional stories, preferring to state exactly what he sees and hears.

A young, frequently abused butcher's boy living in Bampton. He provides crucial information about Robin's abandoned family and dreams of running away from his violent father to find a better life.

A mythological, mute ferryman of the Thames River. According to local legend, he shepherds the dying to the afterlife or guides the lost back to safety, depending on whether it is their time to die.