Emmett is an eighteen-year-old skilled carpenter who recently completed a sentence for involuntary manslaughter. Following his father's death, he signs over the foreclosed family farm and plans to move to a growing housing market to start a property improvement business. He acts as the sole guardian for his younger brother, demonstrating a highly principled and protective nature.

Billy is Emmett's highly observant eight-year-old brother. Armed with a beloved compendium of heroes and adventurers, he possesses an insatiable curiosity and a trusting nature that sometimes blinds him to the dangers of strangers. He has mapped out a route along the Lincoln Highway to San Francisco, firmly believing he can find their absent mother there.

Duchess is a charismatic, morally flexible escapee from Salina Juvenile Detention Center. Raised by a manipulative actor father, he operates on a strict, self-defined system of debts and credits, seeking to balance the scales for perceived slights and favors. He frequently rationalizes his selfish actions as being in the best interest of his friends.

Woolly is a gentle, neurodivergent young man from an incredibly affluent, historically significant New York family. Sent to Salina after a series of misunderstandings at elite boarding schools, he struggles with the rigid structures of society. He is deeply generous, relying heavily on medication to manage his overwhelming surroundings.

Sally is the hardworking daughter of the Watsons' neighbor. Having managed her father's household since her mother's death, she is intensely frustrated by the lack of appreciation she receives. She harbors traditional values regarding domestic skills but possesses a fiercely independent streak and resents being taken for granted.

Ulysses is a World War II veteran who rides the rails across the country. Burdened by guilt over leaving his wife and child to serve in the military, he has spent years in self-imposed exile. He forms a quick, profound bond with Billy, who draws parallels between the veteran and the mythological Greek hero.

An academic and the author of Billy's beloved compendium of historical and mythological heroes. He harbors a deeply rooted academic theory about the trajectories of human lives mirroring the converging paths of classical heroes.

A pragmatic Nebraska farmer and Sally's demanding father. He capitalizes on the Watson family's financial ruin by purchasing their foreclosed property, viewing life strictly through the lens of opportunity and agricultural expansion.

Duchess's absent father is an itinerant actor and con man. He maintains a shifting, unreliable presence in New York City, prioritizing his own survival over his son and leaving behind a trail of betrayals and unpaid debts.

Woolly's fiercely protective, pregnant older sister. She is the only member of the wealthy Martin family who truly attempts to understand and accommodate Woolly's differences, though she constantly worries about his ability to survive in rigid environments.

Sarah's rigid, socially conscious husband who works on Wall Street. He fundamentally lacks patience for Woolly's neurodivergence, viewing his brother-in-law's actions as deliberate acts of disrespect rather than manifestations of his limitations.

The current superintendent of the Salina Juvenile Detention Center. He holds a progressive, rehabilitative approach to juvenile justice and respects Emmett's character, seeing his crime as a tragic mistake rather than a sign of inherent malice.

The cruel, racially prejudiced former warden of Salina. During his tenure, he administered severe corporal punishment, earning the deep-seated enmity of several inmates, including Duchess.

Emmett's former bunkmate at Salina, a respected young man from Harlem with a strong sense of loyalty. He endured an unjust beating at Salina to cover for Duchess's mistakes, creating a complex dynamic of debt and respect between them.

A sinister, opportunistic vagabond who preys on vulnerable travelers along the rail lines. He uses religious rhetoric to justify his thievery and violent actions against those weaker than himself.

A former high-end department store Santa Claus who fell from grace. He serves as Harrison Hewett's drinking companion and holds critical information about past betrayals involving Duchess.

Emmett and Billy's late father, a man who abandoned a comfortable life in Boston to attempt farming in Nebraska. His continuous failures in agriculture ultimately left his sons with massive debt and a foreclosed property.

The local law enforcement officer in Emmett's hometown. He understands the context of Emmett's past and offers practical, albeit stern, advice about survival and the limits of pacifism.