Georgie is a seven-and-a-half-year-old boy living in Tampa, Florida, who suffers extreme abuse and neglect at home. He is initially functionally illiterate but finds solace in a library book filled with pictures of flowers. After winning a scraggly rosebush in a grocery store lottery, he becomes fiercely determined to find a safe place for it to grow. His trauma makes him distrustful of adults and quick to act out defensively when cornered.

Rennie is Georgie's mother, struggling with severe alcohol addiction in Tampa. She prioritizes her relationship with her violent boyfriend over her son's safety, sometimes participating in the abuse herself. Her unpredictable behavior leaves Georgie constantly hungry and living in fear.

Sister Mary Angela runs the Catholic boarding school where the court places Georgie. She recognizes that his difficult behavior stems from trauma rather than malice. She uses gentle structure, patience, and organ music to help him feel safe in his new environment.

Mrs. Harper lives in a large house across from the boys' school. She is actively mourning the sudden deaths of her husband and her older son. Because the school boys remind her of her late son, she strictly forbids them from entering her garden, leading to early conflict with Georgie.

Robin is Mrs. Harper's younger son. He has cognitive impairments and is primarily nonverbal. He deeply misses his older brother and eagerly seeks connection with others, particularly enjoying trips to the local lake to feed the ducks.

Steve is Rennie's boyfriend and the primary source of Georgie's physical abuse. His violent temper controls the atmosphere of the apartment in Tampa. He regularly accuses Georgie of stealing and destroys his possessions without provocation.

Timothy is a student at the Catholic boys' school. He acts as Georgie's first real friend and buddy. He previously maintained a friendship with Mrs. Harper's late son and understands the history of the neighborhood.

Mr. Collier is Mrs. Harper's father. He lives with her and helps care for Robin. When he meets Georgie, he takes a gentle interest in the boy's education and uses creative, non-judgmental methods to help him learn to read.

Mrs. Sims is a grocery store employee who notices Georgie's neglect. She intentionally gives him a lottery ticket to lift his spirits, leading to his acquisition of the rosebush. She temporarily houses him after he is hospitalized.

Old Eddie is the gardener who tends to the flowers on the Harper estate. He understands Mrs. Harper's grief and eventually allows Georgie to help him prune and fertilize the plants.

Paul is Mrs. Harper's deceased older son and Robin's brother. Before dying in a car accident with his father, he frequently played with the boys at the school and took Robin to feed the ducks.

Miss Cressman is Georgie's teacher in Florida. She misinterprets his trauma responses as deliberate defiance and views him as an incorrigible student, frequently expressing frustration with his reading struggles.

Miss Ames is a kind librarian who permits Georgie to repeatedly check out the same picture book about flowers, providing him his only safe escape before he wins the rosebush.

Judge O'Neill manages Georgie's case after he is removed from his mother's care. He officially assigns Georgie to the Catholic boys' school in the country and secures resources for the boys.

Richie is a fellow student at the boys' school. He frequently teases other children, leading to a physical altercation with Georgie at the swimming pool.

Sister Monica is a nun at the boys' school. She enforces discipline when the students misbehave and reports physical altercations to the school administration.

Amanda is employed to help care for Robin at the Harper estate. She dislikes waking up early and struggles to keep up with the energetic boy.

Rosita is the housekeeper for the Harper family. She interacts with Georgie when he first attempts to speak with Mrs. Harper about planting his rosebush, offering him a cupcake.