Connie is a 37-year-old Mexican American woman living in 1970s New York. Having faced intense poverty and the trauma of losing custody of her daughter, she struggles to survive on the margins of society. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is unjustly committed to Bellevue psychiatric hospital. Soon after, she begins receiving telepathic visits from a person from the future who views Connie as a crucial contact point for humanity's survival.

Luciente is a plant geneticist and time traveler from Mattapoisett, a utopian community in the future. She possesses an androgynous appearance and a highly practical mindset. Recognizing Connie as a "catcher" capable of receiving mental contact, Luciente hopes to show her an alternative path for humanity. She firmly believes that ordinary people are responsible for enacting historical change.

Dolly is Connie's young niece who is trapped in an abusive relationship. She holds traditional views on gender and family, desperately hoping her boyfriend will eventually marry her and legitimize their bond. Her learned helplessness repeatedly places her in danger, forcing her to rely on Connie for protection while simultaneously betraying her out of fear.

Geraldo is Dolly's violent boyfriend and a sex trafficker. He is ruthless and manipulative, entirely willing to inflict harm on anyone who stands in his way. After Connie defends Dolly from his physical abuse, he retaliates by aggressively orchestrating Connie's wrongful commitment to a psychiatric hospital.

Sybil is a tall, elegant patient at the psychiatric hospital who considers herself a practicing witch. She has a history of helping women leave abusive husbands, which directly resulted in her institutionalization. She strongly rejects patriarchal control and forms a steadfast bond with Connie while surviving the oppressive medical environment.

Skip is a young, gay patient committed to the psychiatric hospital by his wealthy family for refusing to conform to traditional gender norms. Despite the oppressive environment, he attempts to maintain his sense of self and humanity. He quickly becomes a target for the doctors' experimental brain surgery program.

Bee is a large, gentle man in Mattapoisett who manages the "brooder," a technological system that gestates children. He is calm and emotionally open, completely lacking the aggressive traits Connie typically associates with masculinity. He provides Connie with a profound sense of safety she has rarely experienced.

Jackrabbit is an artist and one of Luciente's romantic partners in the future. He is quick and full of good humor, spending his time creating holographic videos for his community. He is open about his past mental health struggles, helping Connie realize that the future holds no stigma against psychological healing.

Dr. Redding is an ambitious medical practitioner at the state psychiatric hospital. He views the marginalized patients as raw material for his experimental brain-surgery program, prioritizing scientific advancement and patient compliance over human dignity.

Alice is a bold, older Black patient in the hospital who proudly declares she is afraid of no man. Her lively and defiant personality marks her as a strong presence on the ward until she is selected for the experimental brain implant procedure.

Luis is Connie's wealthy and estranged older brother. He values his social and financial status far above family loyalty. He easily aligns with Geraldo to keep Connie locked away in the psychiatric system, viewing her as a shameful embarrassment rather than a sister in need.

Claud is Connie's deceased former lover and a blind musician. He provided her with a brief period of true happiness, treating Connie and her daughter with deep kindness. He resorted to pickpocketing to support them before tragically dying in prison following a medical experiment.

Angelina is Connie's beloved daughter. Connie lost custody of her during a severe bout of depression and addiction, a traumatic separation that remains the defining sorrow driving Connie's current despair.

Dawn is a young child in the utopian future who bears a striking physical resemblance to Connie's lost daughter, Angelina. Her joyful and unburdened existence helps Connie finally accept the strange customs of Luciente's world.

Gildina is a heavily surgically modified woman living in a corporate-controlled future. Bound by extreme capitalist and patriarchal constraints, she exists entirely indoors as a trafficked companion for a military guard.

Adele is Luis's third wife. She heavily uses pills to cope with her miserable marriage and closely scrutinizes Connie when she visits on a brief hospital pass, reflecting the shallow nature of Luis's wealthy lifestyle.

Miss Ferguson is a social worker at the hospital who views her clients through a deeply prejudiced lens. She completely disregards Connie's humanity, reducing her strictly to a series of past mistakes and systemic failures.

Bolivar is a citizen of Mattapoisett and one of Jackrabbit's romantic partners. He possesses a contentious personality and occasionally argues with Luciente, prompting the group to utilize a mediator to peacefully resolve their friction.

Parra is an educated woman in Mattapoisett who studies rivers. Because she shares a similar ethnic background with Connie, she serves as a poignant reminder of who Connie might have been in a society that offered respect rather than marginalization.

Sappho is an elderly resident of Mattapoisett who spent her life teaching the village children. The community gathers to keep her company during her final hours, demonstrating their deeply collective approach to life and death.

Martín was Connie's first husband, whom she married after losing her college scholarship. He was a young man who loved Connie deeply before tragically dying in a violent street fight.

Eddie is Connie's second husband, who abandoned her and their daughter, Angelina. Connie was actively searching for him to demand financial support when she first met Claud.

Nita is Dolly's young daughter. Connie hopes Dolly will leave Geraldo so they can raise Nita together in a safe, matriarchal environment, but Dolly's reliance on Geraldo prevents this dream from materializing.

Hawk is Luciente's older child, who begins the novel under the childhood name Innocente. He undergoes a rigorous coming-of-age survival ritual in the wilderness, after which he claims the adult name Hawk.