Anna is a young girl living on a flat midwestern prairie. She oversees the domestic household duties and watches over her younger brother following the death of their mother. She keeps her emotions private but acts as the memory-keeper for her brother, recounting stories of their past. She longs for her father to sing again and desires stability for her family.

Caleb is a talkative and inquisitive boy who has no memory of his mother, as she died the day after he was born. He provides a constant stream of questions and eagerly anticipates the arrival of a new mother. He notices the absence of singing in their home and associates it with the sadness lingering over the family. He attaches quickly to visitors and worries that he might be too loud or pesky.

Jacob is a widowed father raising two children on a harsh midwestern prairie farm. Since his wife's death, he has stopped singing and focuses heavily on the grueling labor required to maintain the homestead. Seeking a partner to help raise the children and ease his loneliness, he places a newspaper advertisement for a mail-order bride. He demonstrates patience as he introduces their guest to the demands of farm life.

Sarah is an unmarried woman from coastal Maine. Facing displacement when her fisherman brother marries, she answers an advertisement to visit the prairie for one month. She arrives wearing a yellow bonnet so she can be recognized. She possesses carpentry skills and asserts her independence early on, refusing to hide her assertive personality. She finds comfort in the natural world and slowly learns the rhythms of homesteading.

Maggie is a neighboring farmer's wife who originally moved to the prairie from the foothills of Tennessee. She arrived as a mail-order bride herself and understands the difficulty of adapting to a flat, unfamiliar environment. She offers empathy and practical gifts to newcomers. She encourages independence, offering to teach visitors how to drive a wagon.

Matthew is a neighboring farmer on the prairie. He travels to the Whiting farm with his family to assist Jacob with the physical labor of spring plowing. He serves as an example of successful homesteading and community cooperation in an isolated environment.

William is a fisherman living near the sea in Maine. He owns a boat named Kittiwake. His upcoming marriage means his new wife will move in, prompting his sister to seek a new home out West.

Rose is one of Matthew and Maggie's young daughters. She travels to the neighboring farm during the spring plowing and helps present a gift of three chickens.

Violet is Maggie and Matthew's daughter. She spends the day at the neighboring farm during the community plowing effort and falls asleep after the shared meal.

Seal is a beloved pet cat from coastal Maine. The cat travels on the train to the midwestern prairie and causes a brief debate about whether it will live in the house or the barn.

Lottie is one of the farm dogs living on the prairie homestead. The dog takes an immediate liking to visitors and sleeps near the bed of the family's guest.

Nick is the second of the farm dogs on the homestead. Along with Lottie, the dog quickly warms up to the family's visitor and welcomes her into the home.

Jack is one of the draft horses on the prairie farm. He works the fields to prepare for corn planting and is later the subject of a riding lesson.

Old Bess is a draft horse that works the farm. She pulls the plow and the wagon, assisting with the heavy agricultural labor required to survive on the plains.