Jack is a 40-year-old French Canadian writer living in Quebec City who publishes under the pseudonym Jack Waterman. Feeling despondent and suffering from writer's block, he sets out in his minibus to search for his estranged older brother. He is methodical, self-doubting, and deeply influenced by childhood stories of French explorers. He hopes finding his brother will restore his sense of purpose.

La Grande Sauterelle is a 21-year-old Métis woman working as an automobile mechanic. Her heritage is part French Canadian and part Montagnais, causing her to feel torn between these two identities. Clear-sighted, bold, and fiercely knowledgeable about indigenous history, she travels with Jack on a whim, acting as both a capable mechanic and an informed historical guide. She frequently reads borrowed library books during their cross-country trip.

Théo is Jack's older brother, missing for fifteen years. In Jack's memories, he is a bold, adventurous thrill-seeker who embodied the spirit of early French explorers. His trail across North America, marked by old museum logs, newspaper clippings, and police records, forms the basis of the cross-country search. The travelers piece together a complex picture of his life from the people he met along the way.

The Vagabond is an elderly rambler with crafty eyes who claims to prefer the road over a permanent home. He tells stories of living in Paris and Ketchum, bearing a strong resemblance to the biography of Ernest Hemingway. He travels the Oregon Trail seasonally, possessing surprising insight into the routes travelers take to the West Coast.

The Volkswagen is Jack's aging German minibus, which functions as a mobile home for the travelers. Decorated with patches of graffiti, including a German philosophical quote, the vehicle has distinct idiosyncrasies. It has a strong aversion to being hurried and requires coaxing, patience, and mechanical care to cross the continent.

Lisa is a woman originally from Montréal who works as a "live naked girl" in a glass showcase in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. She has traveled extensively to places like South America and India. She possesses a resilient, adaptable nature, allowing her to survive the hardships of city life.

The Bull Rider's Wife is a tall, warm-hearted woman who lives in a mobile home near Chimney Rock and provides tourist information. She displays a radiant, positive demeanor and casually helps manage the local rattlesnake population. She shares her fond recollections of travelers who have passed through the monument.

Lawrence Ferlinghetti is a poet and the owner of San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore. He is a fixture of the North Beach neighborhood who occasionally hosts or attends local poetry readings. His knowledge of the local literary scene provides valuable clues for those tracking missing persons in the area.

Chop Suey is a small black kitten that accompanies La Grande Sauterelle on her journey. Originally unnamed, he earns his moniker after surviving a night alone in a Kansas City parking lot. He provides comfort to the travelers and slowly adapts to life inside a moving minibus.

Ernest Burke is a reporter based in Independence who researches the French presence in the St. Louis area. He assists the travelers by uncovering an old newspaper article that details an incident involving a museum, giving them a fresh trail to follow.

Johnny is a parking lot attendant in St. Louis. He spends time talking with La Grande Sauterelle in his booth and taking long walks with her. He connects the travelers with his reporter friend to aid their ongoing search.

Saul Bellow is a Nobel Prize-winning author whom Jack and La Grande Sauterelle chance upon in Chicago. Originally born in Quebec, he considers Chicago his adopted hometown and briefly discusses the nature of the city with the travelers.

She is a Montagnais woman who works cleaning the museum in Gaspé. She lost her indigenous status upon marrying a white trucker. She briefly reunites with her daughter at the start of the cross-country journey.