Duchess is a 13-year-old girl living in Cape Haven who styles herself as a tough outlaw. Because her mother struggles with addiction, she assumes the role of primary caretaker for her five-year-old brother. She drinks bourbon and smokes, aggressively confronting anyone who threatens her fragile family unit. Her rough exterior serves as armor against the chaos of her home life.

Vincent returns to his dilapidated family home in Cape Haven after spending three decades in state prison. He originally went to jail at age 15 for an accidental hit-and-run that killed his teenage girlfriend's younger sister. He maintains a quiet, monastic demeanor and focuses diligently on repairing his beachfront property. He prefers to keep to himself, absorbing the judgment of the town without complaint.

Walk serves as the chief of police in his hometown of Cape Haven. He operates with an old-fashioned sense of morality and feels personally responsible for the residents' well-being. He secretly travels out of town for medical treatments to hide his early-stage Parkinson's disease from his colleagues and neighbors. He refuses to believe his childhood friend Vincent is inherently bad.

Darke is a wealthy real estate developer and nightclub owner intent on transforming Cape Haven. He systematically purchases vulnerable beachfront properties along the eroding cliffs to make way for a lucrative housing project. He uses his imposing physical presence and underworld connections to intimidate those who stand in his way, maintaining tight control over the town's failing economy.

Star is a gifted singer who now works as an exotic dancer at a local nightclub to support her two children. She relies heavily on alcohol and prescription medication to numb the enduring trauma of her younger sister's death. Despite her constant setbacks and destructive choices, she frequently promises her daughter she will try to be a better person.

Robin is a five-year-old boy growing up in the chaotic environment of Cape Haven. He relies entirely on his older sister for physical protection, meals, and emotional support. He finds joy in small things like his birthday spice cake and easily connects with farm animals.

Hal is a grizzled rancher living on a sprawling property in Copper Falls, Montana. He has lived a largely solitary life for decades following a severe estrangement from his daughter. When thrust into a sudden caretaking role, he attempts to share his love of horses and the outdoors with his wary grandchildren.

Martha is a successful family law attorney who purposefully left Cape Haven behind years ago. She shares a complicated history with Walk and Vincent from their teenage years. She initially resists getting involved in criminal defense work or returning to the town that holds so many painful memories.

Thomas is an earnest, polite teenager living in Montana who immediately takes an interest in the newly arrived Duchess. He wears formal clothing like bow ties and dinner suits, contrasting sharply with Duchess's rough exterior. He lives with a withered hand but refuses to let it define his interactions or prevent him from standing up for others.

Sissy is Star's younger sister who died at the age of seven in a hit-and-run accident. Though she is absent from the present-day narrative, the memory of her death serves as the foundational trauma that continues to define the lives of her surviving family members and the man who drove the car.

Milton is a local butcher in Cape Haven who serves as the self-appointed neighborhood watch. He lives across the street from the Radley family and spends his evenings monitoring their activities through a telescope, harboring a deep, unspoken obsession with Star.

Dolly is a resident of Copper Falls and a former romantic partner of Hal. She maintains a warm presence around the ranch and attempts to offer maternal comfort to the newly arrived children, gently trying to convince them they are not entirely alone in the world.