A twenty-year-old Irish immigrant who answers a newspaper advertisement for a mail-order bride, hoping to escape her impoverished, overcrowded tenement life in New York. Resourceful and deeply pragmatic, she longs to forge a stable family life in San Francisco. She closely guards her personal history in Ireland, preferring to focus entirely on building a secure future for herself and her new stepdaughter.

A polished, impeccably dressed man who places an advertisement for a wife and mother in a New York newspaper. He works in insurance and frequently travels in his automobile for days at a time, leaving his new bride and young daughter alone in their large home. He projects a respectable, wholesome image to the outside world but remains emotionally distant behind closed doors.

Martin's five-year-old daughter. Following the reported death of her mother, she has withdrawn completely from the world, refusing to speak and isolating herself from others. She is highly perceptive and emotionally sensitive, slowly responding to Sophie's patient, maternal affection.

A petite, pregnant young woman with strawberry blond hair who manages the Loralei Inn in San Rafaela. She is deeply in love with her husband, James, and travels to San Francisco in hopes of locating him after a prolonged absence. Earnest and romantic, she is still grieving the recent loss of her father in a mining accident.

A persistent and observant US Marshal. He handles federal investigations and brings a sharp, inquisitive mind to inquiries surrounding missing persons following the natural disaster. He is determined to uncover facts that witnesses attempt to obscure, relying on meticulous record-keeping and intuition.

A beautiful, blonde Los Angeles heiress and Kat's mother. According to Martin, she tragically died of tuberculosis, an event that shattered her young daughter. She represents a lingering, melancholic presence in the household whose history heavily influences the present dynamic.

A tall, slender man with curly reddish-brown hair and a gentle demeanor. He acts as a steadfast friend and confidant to Belinda, assisting her with the daily operations of the Loralei Inn and providing grounded, reliable support.

Sophie's loving mother in Donaghadee, Ireland. Despite the geographical distance, she remains a powerful force in Sophie's life, representing the warm, nurturing matriarchal love that Sophie wishes to replicate.

Sophie's late father, a gentle Irish roofer who harbored unfulfilled academic dreams. Though he could not afford higher education, he fostered a deep love of learning in his daughter, leaving her a treasured word book filled with sophisticated vocabulary.

A tall, handsome fisherman's son from Sophie's hometown of Donaghadee. He is deeply tied to the secrets and painful history that caused Sophie to flee her home country for a completely new start in the United States.

A wealthy, well-dressed, and highly intrusive neighbor living across the street from the Hockings on Polk Street. She embodies the affluent social-climbing culture of San Francisco and frequently pesters Sophie with invasive questions about her unconventional marriage.

A housekeeper at the boarding house where Martin and Kat reside before Sophie's arrival. She observes the concerning dynamic between Martin and his withdrawn daughter and occasionally checks in on the new family.

Libby's husband, a resident of the affluent Polk Street neighborhood. He assists in local matters and relies on his wealth and connections to secure comfort in San Francisco following natural disasters.

Sophie's older brother, whose departure for the United States set a precedent for her own journey away from Ireland following their father's death and the family's subsequent financial struggles.