Percy Talbott: Percy is pretty, if a bit rough-edged. Her face declares the strength of her youth and a sadness beyond her years. She carries a terrible secret.
Hannah Ferguson: About seventy, Hannah is the owner of the Spitfire Grill. She is a tough-skinned and flinty old bird with a short, no-nonsense manner bordering on the bitter. She can also be very tender-hearted and fiercely loyal. She has a secret of her own to protect.
Shelby Thorpe: In her mid-thirties, Shelby is a plain, soft-faced creature with a shy, almost ethereal manner. She is the wife of Caleb Thorpe. Once her trust is gained, she also is a very loyal friend.
**Caleb Thorpe:**In his early forties and the out-of-work foreman of the now-defunct stone quarry, Caleb is a frustrated man clinging to the past and the authority he once had. He bitterly opposes change.
Sheriff Joe Sutter: In his mid to late twenties, Joe is a young, small-town policeman with a restless nature and a genuine desire to escape Gilead.
Effy Crayneck: In her fifties, Effy is postmistress and the town busybody. She is a woman with narrow eyes and a sour tongue. There’s little to gossip about in a town so small, but when there is, she is the source.
The Visitor: In his mid-forties and a mysterious figure who never speaks, the visitor has powerful eyes and a very strong sense of his body.
