Lionel is an elderly man living in Massachusetts who has built a successful career writing books on American folk music. In his youth, he studied at the New England Conservatory, where he formed a profound, life-altering bond. Receiving the unexpected phonographs prompts him to reflect on a transformative summer he spent recording folk songs in Maine decades prior.

David is a talented musician and student at the New England Conservatory. After serving in the war, he returns to Maine and invites Lionel to spend the summer recording traditional American folk music on wax cylinders. His fascination with regional music deeply influences those around him.

Edwin is a 20-year-old man living alone with his mother on their Nantucket farm following the death of his father. He takes on household responsibilities like cooking but feels dissatisfied with his predictable, isolated routine. His perspective shifts dramatically when unexpected visitors arrive at the farm.

Laurel is Edwin's mother, living a secluded life on a Nantucket farm after the passing of her husband, Silas. She has surrendered many of her former domestic duties to her son and harbors deep, unspoken memories of her youth before her marriage.

An unnamed recent art school graduate who spends his days struggling to paint in a cold, poorly insulated island house. Unsure of his future direction, he stumbles across historical artifacts that connect him to the island's past residents and local artistic lineage.

A married woman who left her family's Cape Cod orchards years ago to start a new life. She carries intense shame regarding a hidden past involving a former marriage and a child she left behind with her brother.

A middle-aged father working at a nursery who resorts to theft to fund his son's substance use rehabilitation. He lives on a property his wife inherited and struggles with immense guilt and desperation over his inability to fix his family's crises.

A young, aspiring writer undertaking an arts fellowship in a remote New Hampshire cabin. Feeling lonely, bored, and creatively blocked, he constantly searches for inspiration in his daily interactions, treating the people around him as potential material for his stories.

August's childhood best friend. She currently lives abroad but plans to return to the States to visit her boyfriend, bringing her back into August's immediate orbit, where she provides him with blunt advice about his failing writing career.

A logger stationed in a remote cabin in Fog River for the winter. At his wife's suggestion, he keeps a detailed journal of the harsh conditions and the growing tensions among his gruff companions as they become snowed in.

A writer who becomes obsessed with a 1991 photograph of a great auk. Her quest to uncover the truth behind the photo leads her from Halifax to a small harbor town in Newfoundland, fundamentally changing the trajectory of her life.

An innkeeper facing financial ruin and the heartbreak of his wife's deteriorating memory. To lift her spirits and distract his brother, he retrieves a taxidermied great auk from his attic, sparking an unexpected local adventure.

A young woman who flees her parents' arranged marriage to join the "Children of New Eden" congregation. She finds a sense of belonging in the group but soon faces disturbing realities about their isolated settlement and their leader.

A historian and writer who traces his lifelong fascination with Karl Dietzen back to a dramatic childhood memory. He uses his historical research to process a formative night spent with his runaway sister at a local museum.

A woman living in a historic house in Maine with her husband. Having abandoned her scientific studies years ago to marry, she now feels bored and purposeless until she discovers a set of antique wax cylinders in her attic.

Will is a painter and a figure from Laurel's past who makes a sudden visit to her farm. He brings a gift—a painting of a songbird—that communicates unspoken feelings and a shared history he refuses to leave behind completely.

An elderly museum curator and widow living on Nantucket. She meticulously maintains her late husband's art studio and invites a young visiting painter into her home, seeking a connection through portraiture.

Hope's current husband. He remains entirely unaware of her past experiences in western Massachusetts, believing the version of her life she has presented to him.

Hope's former husband, a man who initiated a secret relationship with her. He frequently disappeared during their marriage, hiding significant details about his separate life.

Hope's brother, who works grafting apple trees on their late father's property. He and his wife step in to care for his nephew when his sister struggles with motherhood.

Mark's wife and Ian's mother. She frequently stays out late to evade the stress of her home life, feeling overwhelmed by the ongoing crisis of her son's health and the financial strain it causes.

Mark and Julia's 20-year-old son who struggles with opioid addiction. Despite his parents' efforts to support him, his behavior remains erratic, escalating during a tense hunting trip with his father.

A medical professional who briefly dates August to break up the monotony of her own life. She provides August with temporary companionship before ending things due to her busy schedule.

A younger, less experienced logger who becomes the target of the crew's relentless bullying. Having lost his entire family, he is isolated and increasingly desperate as a harsh winter traps the men inside their cabin.