Rose is a young, beautiful woman from California who abruptly flees her marriage to seek refuge at a home for unwed mothers. Feeling stifled by her life with her husband, she interprets her desire to escape as a sign from God. She is guarded, highly practical, and heavily burdened by a sense of guilt regarding the secrets she keeps about her past. She finds comfort in driving and working in the kitchen at Saint Elizabeth's.

Son is the tall, quiet caretaker at Saint Elizabeth's. Having relocated to Habit following a deeply traumatic incident in his youth, he finds comfort in physical labor and the predictable routine of the home. He is intensely protective of the family he builds there and deeply fears losing the people he loves.

Sissy is a young girl raised on the grounds of Saint Elizabeth's. Growing up surrounded by nuns and transient pregnant women, she develops a highly mature and self-sufficient personality. She constantly craves attention and emotional connection, feeling acutely the distance from her mother while valuing her fiercely protective father figure.

Sister Evangeline is an elderly nun at Saint Elizabeth's whose failing eyesight limits her to kitchen duties. She possesses remarkable intuition, often accurately predicting the genders of babies and sensing the unspoken emotions of the residents. She offers generous, selfless love to the young women in her care.

Mother Corinne is the strict Mother Superior of Saint Elizabeth's. She thrives on maintaining rigid order and traditional authority within the institution. She shows little patience for disobedience or deceit, strictly enforcing the rules of the Catholic Church upon the vulnerable women under her roof.

June is the daughter of the farmer who discovered the healing hot springs in Habit. Having miraculously survived a childhood illness through the spring's waters, she is treated with reverence by the townspeople. She remains humble, living her entire life in her family home and offering a welcoming presence to outsiders.

Helen is Rose's beautiful, widowed mother who sells cosmetics at a department store. Following the sudden loss of her husband, she forms an intense, almost twin-like bond with her daughter. She embraces traditional domestic roles and frequently worries about the challenges pretty women face in life.

Thomas is a meek, quiet high school math teacher from California. He is deeply captivated by his wife's beauty and offers her a stable, conventional lifestyle. Despite his gentle nature and romantic gestures, his quiet demeanor ultimately leaves his young bride feeling anxious and trapped.

Angie is a pregnant resident at Saint Elizabeth's who was sent away to conceal her affair with her married boss. She is practical, friendly, and eager to help new arrivals adjust to the home's hierarchy. She spends her time sewing baby clothes while carrying the heavy grief of her impending separation from her child.

Cecilia is Son's former fiancée from his youth. She is a petite, confident woman who is highly conscious of social status and appearances. Her unpredictable affection deeply affects her partner's self-worth and ultimately leads to a tragedy that shapes the rest of his life.

Beatrice is a pregnant resident at Saint Elizabeth's who is desperate to prolong her time with her impending children. Determined to delay the adoption process, she stubbornly studies midwifery books and attempts to orchestrate a secret birth on the grounds rather than at the hospital.

Lorraine is a pregnant young woman from Alabama who arrives at Saint Elizabeth's years after Rose. She is highly insecure, deeply missing the social power and male attention she once enjoyed at home. She aggressively seeks out companionship and attaches herself to anyone willing to tolerate her presence.

George is a farmer who discovers a hot spring on his property. Initially suspecting it to be a bad omen, he soon realizes its miraculous properties when it cures his sick livestock and saves his dying child, inadvertently laying the groundwork for the town's future sanctuary.

Alice is a temporary resident at Saint Elizabeth's who forms a notably close bond with a young child on the grounds. Knowing she must eventually leave, she worries deeply about the emotional toll her inevitable departure will take on the young girl who views her as a playmate.

Sister Bernadette is a nun working under the administration at Saint Elizabeth's. She serves as a reliable subordinate to the Mother Superior, greeting new arrivals and escorting them into the rigid, highly structured world of the Catholic sanctuary.