Sarah is an eight-year-old girl traveling from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the Connecticut wilderness. She volunteers to accompany her father to cook and keep him company while he builds their new home. Clinging to her fur-lined cloak for comfort, she constantly reminds herself to be brave in the face of unfamiliar animal noises and local inhabitants. Her strong adherence to her English cultural identity is challenged as she adapts to life in the settlement.

John is Sarah's father, a Christian family man who purchases land in Connecticut to build a new home. He values fairness and peaceful interactions, maintaining a positive view of the local Schaghticoke people who sold him the property. Despite his attempts to reassure his daughter, he harbors private doubts about the wisdom of bringing an eight-year-old into an unsettled area. He works diligently to construct a cave shelter and eventually a house for his large family.

Mary is John's wife and Sarah's mother who remains behind in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her infant and other children. She is an affectionate and loving mother whose warmth stands in contrast to other colonists Sarah meets. Having no direct contact with the region's Indigenous groups, she holds typical colonial fears about the local population.

Mistress Robinson is a white colonist living in a settlement along the Nobles' route to Connecticut. She allows John and Sarah to sleep by her fire while her husband is away but speaks sharply to her four children. She maintains prejudiced views about the local Indigenous populations and does not correct her sons when they tell frightening stories to Sarah.

Tall John is a local Schaghticoke man living near the Nobles' newly purchased land. Given an English nickname by John Noble because his real name is deemed too difficult to pronounce, he assists the family with building their home. He is a steadfast figure who treats the colonist family with kindness and later opens his own home to host Sarah.

Small John is Tall John's son, a young Schaghticoke boy who lives near the Nobles' settlement. He is given his English nickname by Sarah because she cannot pronounce his actual name. He helps show Sarah where wild strawberries grow and learns to communicate with her despite their language barrier.

Mary is Tall John's daughter, who receives her English nickname from Sarah in honor of Sarah's own mother. She wears lightweight clothing that initially shocks the heavily dressed Sarah. Over time, she plays games with Sarah and helps her adjust to the area's natural surroundings.

Abigail is one of Mistress Robinson's four children living in the settlement. When she expresses a desire for a cloak similar to the one Sarah wears, she receives a sharp reprimand from her mother.

Thomas is the Noble family's horse. He travels with John and Sarah from Massachusetts into the Connecticut wilderness, carrying their necessary items for the journey. Sarah decorates his harness with flowers and includes him in her nighttime prayers.