Odie is a young, imaginative boy with a talent for music and storytelling. Orphaned and sent to a harsh boarding school, he frequently gets into trouble for his rebellious nature and active imagination. He plays a harmonica given to him by his father and relies on stories to make sense of the brutal environment around him. Deeply affected by loss, he struggles to understand faith and meaning as he travels down the Gilead River.

Four years older than Odie, Albert is highly intelligent, mechanically inclined, and completely devoted to protecting his brother. He earns the trust of the school's strict superintendent by acting as an exemplary student, though he secretly uses his skills to subvert the rules. He acts as the pragmatic and logical anchor for the traveling group, preferring straightforward interactions over manipulation.

Mose is a large, gentle Sioux boy whose tongue was cut out when he was four years old. Communicating primarily through sign language taught to him by Albert and Odie, he represents the emotional center of the runaway group. Despite his traumatic past and the brutal suppression of his culture, he maintains a resilient disposition until historical discoveries force him to confront his heritage.

Emmy is a six-year-old girl with an unusual gift for perceiving things others cannot. After a tornado destroys her home and takes her mother, she requests to join the boys on their journey down the river. She acts as a moral compass for the group, frequently experiencing trance-like fits that provide cryptic insights into the future.

Known by the students as "the Black Witch," Mrs. Brickman is the harsh superintendent of the Lincoln School. She uses rigid discipline and intimidation to maintain absolute control over the children. She actively suppresses the cultural identities of the Indigenous students and works to profit financially from their forced labor.

A charismatic traveling preacher who runs the Sword of Gideon Healing Crusade. Dressed in a white robe, she seemingly heals the afflicted through physical touch and deep psychological insight. Her presence forces Odie to reconsider his cynical views on God and humanity.

The school superintendent and husband to Mrs. Brickman, he enforces physical discipline at the Lincoln School. He delivers Sunday sermons comparing himself to a shepherd, though his actions contradict his preaching, as he engages in affairs and illicit financial activities.

A kind widow who teaches at the Lincoln School. She shows genuine compassion for the boys, offering them a brief glimpse of a loving home environment and planning to adopt them before a natural disaster strikes her property.

The groundskeeper and disciplinarian at the Lincoln School. He uses his position of unchecked power to terrorize and abuse the vulnerable students, acting as a menacing and dangerous physical threat.

A compassionate man who runs the carpentry shop at the Lincoln School. He secretly aids the boys, providing them with extra food and eventually supplying them for their escape, while quietly operating a hidden bootlegging operation on the grounds.

A local farmer in Fremont County who utilizes free labor from the Lincoln School. He views the Indigenous students primarily as farm equipment rather than children.

A young Indigenous student at the Lincoln School. His sudden disappearance severely affects Odie and highlights the total vulnerability of the children at the institution.

A one-eyed farmer known initially to Odie as "the pig scarer." He forces the runaway group to work on his land to pay for their perceived trespassing. Estranged from his wife and daughter, he hides deep emotional pain beneath a frightening and volatile exterior.

The pragmatic business manager for Sister Eve's crusade. He handles the logistics, lighting, and finances of the operation, prioritizing commercial success over genuine spiritual healing, which frequently draws Odie's suspicion.

An Indigenous man, also known as Hawk Flies at Night, who dresses like a cowboy. Despite knowing there is a bounty for the runaway children, he refuses to turn them in. He acts as a critical cultural mentor to Mose.

The teenage daughter of a displaced farming family traveling to Chicago. Kind and optimistic despite her family's dire economic situation, she forms a tender romantic bond with Odie during his stay at the Hooverville.

A displaced Kansas farmer struggling with alcohol dependence after losing his land to foreclosures. He is stranded with his family in a Hooverville encampment due to a broken truck and a lack of funds for gasoline.

Maybeth's grandmother, referred to as Mother Beal, who travels with the Schofield family. Having lived among the Sioux as a young woman, she provides important spiritual and cultural context to Odie regarding Mose's behavior.

A Jewish woman who runs a café in the West Side Flats of St. Paul. Bearing a facial scar from a brutal police encounter, she is deeply compassionate and fiercely protective of her marginalized community, frequently feeding those who cannot pay.

Gertie's Catholic partner who helps run the café in the Flats. She provides a warm, welcoming environment for the travelers and connects Albert with her brother for mechanical work.

Flo's brother, a towboat operator who lives on his vessel on the Mississippi River. He recognizes Albert's impressive mechanical aptitude and eagerly offers him a job on his crew.

A Jewish boy in St. Paul who works a paper route to help his family. He frequently uses the Irish alias "John Kelly" to avoid antisemitic harassment from the police and community. He bonds with Odie over their shared hardships.

The woman Odie knows as his aunt, living in a large house in St. Louis. She operates a brothel out of her home and harbors complex, deep-rooted ties to Odie's past and to the Brickmans.