Deanna is a 48-year-old forest ranger living alone in a remote cabin on Zebulon Mountain. After leaving her marriage and city teaching job behind, she returned to her Appalachian roots to monitor and protect the local forest ecosystem. She is fiercely independent, deeply knowledgeable about wildlife, and prefers the company of predatory animals over human society.

Lusa is a 28-year-old entomologist who recently moved from the city to rural Zebulon County after getting married. Drawing on her Palestinian and Jewish heritage, she brings an outsider's perspective to an area heavily reliant on chemical farming. She struggles to adapt to agricultural life and feels alienated by her deeply traditional in-laws in the wake of her husband's sudden passing.

Garnett is an elderly, retired agriculture teacher living on what is left of his family's formerly vast estate. He dedicates his days to cross-breeding chestnut trees, hoping to resurrect the extinct American chestnut that originally built his family's fortune. He holds strict religious views regarding land management and human dominion over nature.

Nannie is an independent woman in her seventies who runs an organic apple orchard in Zebulon Valley. She refuses to use chemical pesticides, preferring to let the natural ecosystem maintain its own balance. Her progressive farming methods and unconventional lifestyle make her a target of local criticism, but she remains entirely unfazed by public opinion.

Eddie is a 28-year-old sheep rancher from Wyoming who travels to Appalachia for a local coyote bounty hunt. He holds deep-seated animosity toward natural predators that threaten livestock, bringing him into direct ideological conflict with the forest ranger. His quiet confidence and physical presence immediately command attention in the woods.

Cole is a traditional Appalachian farmer who attempts to bridge the gap between his family's conventional agricultural practices and his wife's ecological ideals. He deeply loves his wife but struggles to understand her aversion to standard farming chemicals, creating constant friction in their household.

Jewel is the youngest of the Widener siblings, raising two children alone after her husband's departure. She shows more compassion toward her city-born sister-in-law than the rest of her traditional family does, offering an unexpected alliance in a hostile environment.

Crystal is a ten-year-old tomboy who strongly resists her aunts' attempts to force her into traditional feminine clothing and behavior. She acts out aggressively against restrictive family expectations but responds well to patient instruction about the natural world.

Little Rickie is a seventeen-year-old local boy who occasionally helps out on the Widener property. He provides a friendly, non-judgmental presence on the farm and willingly assists with unconventional agricultural projects when others refuse.

Jerry is a young Forest Service employee who drives a jeep up the mountain once a month. He brings supplies to the remote cabin and serves as the isolated ranger's only regular link to the outside world.

Mary Edna is the eldest Widener sister and a fiercely protective guardian of her family's heritage. She embodies the traditional, suspicious attitude the local community holds toward outsiders and progressive ideas.

Big Rickie is married into the Widener family and works as a traditional farmer in Zebulon Valley. He expects the local farms to be run according to established community customs and doubts alternative methods.

Herb is a local farmer married into the Widener family. He takes an aggressive stance against wildlife that threatens his agricultural livelihood, participating actively in local predator hunts.

Ray Dean is a deceased local farmer who passed down his extensive knowledge of local plants and animals to his offspring. He maintained a long-term unconventional relationship outside of marriage, prioritizing personal freedom over community expectations.

Rachel is the late daughter of Nannie Rawley, born with Down syndrome. Her memory heavily influences her mother's worldview and shapes her family's understanding of the vulnerability and variety of life.

Shel is the estranged husband of Jewel Widener. His struggles with alcoholism caused deep rifts in his family, eventually leading him to abandon his domestic responsibilities entirely.

Lowell is the young son of Jewel Widener. He relies heavily on the protection of his older sister while his mother manages her illness.

Ellen is the late wife of Garnett Walker III. She died of lung cancer several years before the story begins, leaving a lasting void in her husband's daily routine and shaping his protective attitude toward his land.

Lois is another of the Widener sisters who attempts to enforce traditional gender norms on her young niece. Her strict approach to family appearances causes significant friction within the household.

Hannie-Mavis is one of the Widener sisters who helps transport Jewel to her medical treatments. She provides a rare moment of direct communication regarding the family's anxieties about the future of their ancestral farm.

A family of wild coyotes that has recently established a den on Zebulon Mountain. As a keystone predator returning to the area, they represent a significant shift in the local ecosystem and spark fierce ideological debates among the human residents.