Lyndall is an orphaned child living on a South African farm. She is fiercely independent and highly critical of the limited opportunities afforded to women. She dreams of leaving the farm to attain a formal education and vows to protect the weak, frequently challenging unjust power dynamics.

Waldo is the thoughtful, deeply spiritual son of the farm's German overseer. Tasked with herding sheep, he spends long hours on the plains struggling with a profound crisis of faith. He is a quiet youth who seeks to understand life's mysteries through nature and mechanics.

Em is Tant' Sannie's stepdaughter and Lyndall's cousin. In contrast to Lyndall's fierce independence, Em is sweet-natured, compliant, and deeply attached to the familiar routines of the farm. She wishes to remain a child forever and seeks only the comfort of her immediate surroundings.

Bonaparte Blenkins is an Irish-English traveler who arrives at the farm and immediately begins spinning self-aggrandizing lies about his aristocratic connections. A skilled confidence man with a mercurial temper, he uses flattery to manipulate adults while acting with startling cruelty toward those he views as vulnerable.

Gregory Rose is an Englishman who arrives to lease a portion of the farm. He harbors delusions of grandeur regarding his family lineage and finds the monotonous farm surroundings incredibly tedious. He holds highly traditional views on gender roles but is prone to sweeping declarations of romantic devotion.

Tant' Sannie is a Boer woman who owns and runs the isolated African farm. She adheres to strict, conventional social mores and firmly believes in the racial hierarchies of the colonial system. Despite her outward demands for propriety, she is highly susceptible to flattery and easily swayed by appearances.

Otto is the farm's German overseer and Waldo's father. He is a profoundly devout man who takes scripture literally and seeks to see the good in everyone. His unhesitating faith makes him dangerously naive, as he readily believes the best of strangers.

Trana is Tant' Sannie's young niece who comes to visit the farm. She stands to inherit a significant amount of wealth and property, making her an attractive target for opportunistic suitors looking to secure their financial futures.

Little Piet Vander Walt is a younger widower who visits the farm to engage in the traditional Boer method of courting. He seeks a practical marriage arrangement to manage his own affairs.

An unnamed traveler who stops at the farm and engages Waldo in theological discussion. Recognizing the boy's spiritual hunger, he shares an allegory about a hunter seeking truth.

An unnamed gentleman who is connected to Lyndall's time away from the farm. He represents the conventional societal expectations placed upon women, offering a relationship that Lyndall staunchly refuses.

Doss is Waldo's loyal dog. He is a constant companion on the isolated farm, providing silent comfort to the children as they endure the challenges of their restrictive environment.