Ellie is a twelve-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair and possesses a passion for baking. She lives with her single mother in Nashville but soon relocates to a trailer park in Oklahoma. Frustrated by people defining her by her physical condition, she strongly desires independence and dislikes relying on her assigned school aides.

Alice is Ellie’s single mother and a dedicated school teacher. She carries the heavy burden of providing for Ellie and advocating for her medical and educational needs. When her father's memory issues worsen, she abruptly decides to move herself and Ellie to Oklahoma for the semester to support her parents.

Marianne, affectionately called Mema by her family, is Ellie's grandmother who lives in a trailer park in Eufaula, Oklahoma. She is deeply devoted to her husband and her Christian faith. Strong-willed and independent, she initially resists her daughter's attempts to take over the household.

Jonah is Ellie’s beloved grandfather who lives in Eufaula. He experiences rapidly progressing Alzheimer's disease, which affects his memory and causes him to act unpredictably, such as driving his truck into a storefront. Despite his declining condition, he maintains a strong bond with Ellie.

Coralee is an eccentric adolescent who lives next door to Ellie's grandparents in the trailer park. She dreams of becoming a country music sensation and actively participates in beauty pageants. She quickly accepts Ellie as a peer, asking her directly about her condition rather than treating her with pity.

Bert is the son of the local grocery store owner and an adolescent on the autism spectrum. He carpools to school with Ellie and Coralee to avoid social difficulties on the school bus. He enjoys building intricate miniature models of Eufaula in a shed behind his family's home.

Coach Hutch is a gym teacher who prepares physical therapy-like activities for Ellie during class. Unlike many of the other school staff, he does not treat Ellie delicately and believes in pushing her to build her physical strength.

Dane is Coralee’s grandfather who uses a walking aide. He owns pet cockatoos and shares his home with his granddaughter in the trailer park.

Mr. Akers is the owner of the local grocery store in Eufaula and Bert's father. He agrees to split the cost of repairing his store windows after Jonah crashes into them, exchanging the favor for Alice carpooling his son.

Evelyn is an attendee at the local Methodist church who used to work with Marianne. She inadvertently reveals Alice's secret plans to substitute teach in Eufaula during the holiday service.

Lauren is Ellie’s special needs aide at her original school in Nashville. Ellie feels smothered by her constant presence and supervision throughout the school day.

Rachel is the school secretary who is temporarily assigned to help Ellie with restroom access until a full-time aide is hired. Ellie actively avoids accepting her help, preferring to rely on friends.

Emma Claire is a fellow student in Nashville who also has cerebral palsy. Her absence from school prompts Ellie to leave the cafeteria and eat lunch outside alone.