Mabel is a middle-aged woman raised in privilege by a university literature professor in Pennsylvania. She recently convinced her husband to relocate to the remote Alaskan territory to homestead, hoping the frontier will provide a refuge from her lingering grief over a stillborn baby ten years prior. Left alone for long hours while her husband works, she battles severe depression and isolation until the appearance of a mysterious young girl sparks her maternal instincts and imagination.

Jack is a stoic, hardworking man in his early fifties who leaves a Pennsylvania apple farm to homestead in Alaska at his wife's urging. He handles his own grief over their lost child by pouring his energy into physical labor and practical survival. Though he initially doubts his ability to conquer the fierce wilderness, he demonstrates fierce dedication to providing for his wife and securing their farm against the brutal winter.

Faina is a striking, mysterious young girl with blond hair who roams the freezing Alaskan wilderness accompanied by a red fox. Dressed in a threadbare blue coat, she possesses an uncanny ability to survive the brutal winter elements on her own. Her sudden appearances and disappearances lead Mabel to associate her with the magical snow maiden from a Russian fairy tale, while Jack searches for a more practical explanation for her existence.

Garrett is the capable, quiet son of a neighboring homesteading family. Though he assists his father and neighbors with demanding agricultural work, he harbors a strong preference for the solitude of the wilderness and dreams of working independently as a trapper. He possesses an unerring moral compass and a deep affinity for the natural world.

George is a prosperous and established homesteader living about ten miles from Jack and Mabel. Recognizing the struggles of his new neighbors, he extends unprompted generosity, sharing his family's labor and resources to ensure Jack and Mabel survive their lean first years. He represents the cooperative, can-do spirit necessary to thrive in the harsh Alaskan environment.

Esther is the robust, hard-bitten, yet warm-hearted wife of George Benson. Raising five sons in the wilderness has made her pragmatic and tough—capable of casually dispatching poultry for dinner—but she possesses a deeply generous heart. She provides Mabel with much-needed friendship, social interaction, and grounded perspective on frontier living.

Ada is Mabel's sister who lives a comfortable life back in Philadelphia. She acts as an anchor to Mabel's past life, exchanging letters that help ease her sister's profound loneliness. Ada provides crucial information by tracking down and mailing an illustrated copy of a Russian fairy tale that mirrors Mabel's experiences.

Joseph Maurice is Mabel and Jack's stillborn son who died more than ten years before their move to Alaska. Though he never drew a breath, his absence dominates the couple's psychological reality. His death serves as the catalyst for their relocation to the frontier and the root cause of the emotional chasm between his parents.