Hannah Sparhawk serves as a foil to Elsbeth. A wealthy and spirited young lady, Hannah’s rebellion is directed not against poverty but against the stifling social conventions that confine women of her class. Her constant schemes to gain small freedoms and her ultimate desire to reunite with her grandmother in Rhode Island parallel Elsbeth’s more desperate struggle for survival, illustrating that the yearning for autonomy transcends social standing. Initially, she appears privileged and somewhat frivolous, earning the nickname “the Princess” (97) from the Pike children. However, her character gains significant depth as the narrative reveals her vulnerability as an orphan under the control of her guardian, Captain Hunter.

Hannah’s relationship with Elsbeth is central to her development and highlights the novel’s exploration of found families. The bond between them evolves from a master-servant dynamic into a complex, sisterly alliance built on mutual trust and shared secrets. Hannah comes to rely on Elsbeth’s pragmatism, while Elsbeth is drawn to Hannah’s defiant spirit. This connection is solidified when Hannah, upon learning of Captain Hunter’s betrayal regarding her grandmother’s death, turns to Elsbeth for comfort. Her grief reveals the deep emotional wounds beneath her rebellious exterior. This shared vulnerability ultimately erases the class distinctions between the two girls, culminating in them holding hands as Hannah faces her illness.

Ultimately, Hannah’s story ends in tragedy, reminding readers of the uncontrollable forces of fate: war, disease, and death. Contracting smallpox “in the common way” (329) rather than through the relative safety of inoculation places her in mortal danger despite her wealth and status. Her death reinforces the symbolism of smallpox as an indiscriminate and devastating power. It also underscores the precariousness of life during this era and serves as a catalyst for Elsbeth’s final steps toward her own independence.

Shubel Kent is Elsbeth’s loyal “boon companion” (15), whom she refers to as “the best turnip in the world” (241). He is a key supporting character who represents the struggles and aspirations of Boston’s working-class youth. Initially a cheerful and resourceful apprentice, Shubel provides Elsbeth with friendship, information, and a crucial link to the world beyond her domestic service. Their bond is a cornerstone of the novel’s theme regarding the creation of found families in a world where biological families have been fractured.

Shube’s character arc reflects a growing disillusionment with his limited prospects, which fuels his own form of rebellion. After being abandoned by his master, he expresses his frustration with the rigid class structure, stating, “I can’t be a rich man’s errand boy forever” (72). This discontent motivates him to join the Continental Army, an act that is both a personal choice for a better future and a political commitment to the revolutionary cause. Young, landless men often struggled to find purpose and a living wage during this era, and his journey from apprentice to ditch digger to soldier illustrates the difficult choices men like him faced. During war, those choices often came with personal costs: While his transformation into a soldier is a source of pride for him, it is a source of great worry for Elsbeth. His promise to write to Elsbeth, despite being illiterate, underscores his determination and deepens their connection. Years later, in between his service, their married life begins.

Tobias Culpepper, known as Pappa, is a pivotal character whose absence is the primary catalyst for the novel’s plot. His character is defined by grief following the death of his wife and younger children from smallpox, which has turned him from a joyful man into a stranger whose soul is scarred by “deep ruts” (26). This melancholy fuels his fear for Elsbeth’s safety, leading him to make the controlling decision that she must evacuate with him to Scotland. Elsbeth’s defiance of this plan is the novel’s inciting incident.

For much of the narrative, Pappa exists as a memory and a motivation for Elsbeth. He represents the lost security of family, while Elsbeth’s hope for reunion drives her to survive. The mystery of his disappearance is resolved through a letter that reveals he did not abandon her but was forced into service by the British Navy. This revelation paints him as another victim of the war’s indiscriminate cruelty. His eventual return, frail but alive, provides the narrative with its emotional climax and resolution, allowing Elsbeth to finally find the security and paternal love she has been seeking.

Mister Pike is a key supporting character who represents the principled, upper-class Patriot. A former spy for the American cause, he suffers imprisonment and the destruction of his home, embodying the significant personal sacrifices made in the name of liberty. When Elsbeth first meets him, he is physically and emotionally fragile, confessing, “I cannot stand to be alone” (62). He provides Elsbeth with employment and, more importantly, a safe haven where she can await her father’s return.

His character serves to drive much of the plot’s secondary conflicts. The mysterious disappearance of his fortune and his subsequent financial ruin at the hands of Captain Hunter place his family in peril and create an unstable domestic environment. Despite his own hardships, he demonstrates a capacity for growth and empathy. Initially viewing Elsbeth as just another servant, he eventually comes to see her as “a part of our family” (376). His evolution from a broken man to a respected delegate in the new Massachusetts Assembly, and his ultimate acceptance of Elsbeth’s desire for independence, reflect the novel’s broader themes of resilience and self-determination.

The Pike family functions as a collective unit that illustrates the domestic impact of the Revolution and becomes the nexus of Elsbeth’s found family. Missus Mehitable Pike evolves from a seemingly cold and distant wife, resentful of her husband’s political choices, into a complex and compassionate maternal figure. Her initial opposition to smallpox inoculation stems from a deep-seated fear for her children, and her quiet support of Hannah during her grief over her grandmother’s death reveals a surprising depth. She notes, “What cannot be cured, Hannah Sparhawk, must be endured” (260). This speech serves as a pragmatic lesson in survival for women in a patriarchal world.

The Pike children—Thomas, Tabitha, Alexander, Benjamin, Gilbert, and Tillinghast (“Howler”)—represent the generation whose future is being shaped by the war. Their household squabbles and acts of rebellion mirror the larger conflict. Thomas’s decision to run away to sea with a privateer, Tabitha’s intellectual pursuits and passion for independence, and Alexander’s scientific mind all reflect different responses to the era’s call for new ways of thinking and acting.

Widow Nash is a minor antagonist who serves as the primary source of conflict for Elsbeth within the Pike household. As the rigid and perpetually displeased housekeeper, she represents an oppressive and arbitrary domestic authority. She is consistently critical of Elsbeth, viewing her as lazy, untrustworthy, and having “ideas above [her] station” (153). Her animosity culminates in a malicious act of betrayal when she intercepts Elsbeth’s letter from her father and falsely reports her to the Committee of Safety as a spy. In this role, Widow Nash stands in contrast to the compassionate, family-like bonds that form between Elsbeth and the other members of the household, embodying an old, hierarchical order that conflicts with the novel’s more nurturing vision of a found family.

Captain Hunter serves as a primary antagonist to Hannah Sparhawk, a figure of pure greed and malice whose actions are built on a foundation of cruel deception. As Hannah’s legal guardian and Mister Pike’s business associate, he wields immense power over the story’s central characters. He exploits this power for his own financial gain, seizing control of Mister Pike’s assets. His most treacherous act is concealing the death of Hannah’s grandmother for months, callously manipulating Hannah’s emotions and stealing her inheritance. This cruel falsehood makes him a personification of the story’s darker exploration of deception, using it not for survival but for selfish gain. His death at sea while seeking more treasure serves as narrative justice for his treachery.

Nyott Doubt is a supporting character who bridges the gentry and working classes. Introduced as a young medical apprentice, or “almost-doctor” (11), he is a gentleman by birth whose family has lost its fortune, forcing him into a life of work. He is instrumental in providing Elsbeth and Shube with opportunities, first by treating Judge Bellingham and later by vouching for Shube’s character so he can enlist in the army. His deep infatuation with Hannah Sparhawk provides a romantic subplot that highlights the disconnect between desire and social expectations. Though somewhat naive and self-important, Nyott is fundamentally decent, and his unwavering devotion to Hannah during her final illness reveals a compassionate nature.