Hetty "Handful" Grimké
A fictional enslaved girl given to Sarah as a handmaid on her 11th birthday. Handful is a spirited and resilient character who yearns for freedom and narrates part of the story, offering a perspective on the brutal realities of slavery. She represents the strength and agency of enslaved individuals, contrasting with Sarah’s privileged but restricted life.

Charlotte Grimké
Handful’s mother, also enslaved by the Grimké family. Charlotte is a skilled seamstress and a defiant figure who teaches Handful about resistance and survival. She crafts a story quilt that symbolizes her life and dreams of freedom.

Nina (Angelina) Grimké
Sarah’s younger sister, inspired by the real-life Angelina Grimké. In the novel, Nina shares Sarah’s abolitionist leanings and becomes a key ally in her journey. She is bold and outspoken, reflecting the historical Angelina’s role as a public activist.

Mrs. Mary Grimké
Sarah and Nina’s mother, a strict and traditional Southern matriarch who upholds the institution of slavery and the family’s social standing. She represents the entrenched attitudes of the slave-owning class.

John Grimké
Sarah’s father, a judge and patriarch of the Grimké family. He is a stern figure who embodies the legal and moral framework of the South that Sarah eventually rejects.

Thomas Grimké
Sarah’s older brother, who initially influences her intellectual development but later conforms to societal expectations, creating tension with Sarah’s radical views.

Denmark Vesey
A historical figure who appears in the novel as a free Black carpenter and revolutionary. He plans a slave rebellion in Charleston, which deeply impacts Handful and Charlotte.

Mauma
A term Handful uses for Charlotte, meaning "mother." It emphasizes their close bond and Charlotte’s role as Handful’s guide and protector.

Goodis
An enslaved man on the Grimké plantation who befriends Handful and provides moments of kindness and solidarity amid their shared oppression.