David Hayden

David is the novel’s narrator and protagonist. He recounts the details of his twelfth summer from the perspective of an adult, and the plot focuses on his realization that the world is not as mundane and simple as he believed before the fateful events that transpire between his uncle, Frank, and Marie, a Native American woman who helps his mother with housework and childcare. David loves the outdoors and tales of wilderness, and he notes that he thinks of Marie like his family. This childlike and innocent love of the woman who cares for him is not shared by some other members of his family, and he is forced to confront a world filled with racism and injustice.

David’s reflections as an adult suggest that there is hope for overcoming the prejudices one is born into. In the end, he turns away from the place of his childhood. His experiences in Bentrock have taught him that the most “sensational” stories of history are played out in private spaces that are not well-recorded in history texts.

Wesley Hayden

Wesley Hayden is the town sheriff and David’s father. Wesley is a complex character. On one hand, he perpetuates the stereotyping of Native Americans in his town, teaching his son that they are lazy and ignorant. He also has to be forced into action when he learns of his brother’s crimes against women. In the end he decides to pursue justice for Marie Little Soldier, even though it costs him the respect of his own father, who retaliates and sends a group of men to intimidate his family in revenge. Wesley has inherited the title of sheriff from his father, who expects him to carry on with his own ideologies. Although he is compelled to arrest his brother for murder, he still struggles with following through, detaining Frank in his basement instead of taking him to jail. Wesley’s character shows that deep bonds of family are often difficult to break, even when they are unhealthy and based on a sense of obligation instead of love.

Gail Hayden

Gail Hayden is David’s mother, and she breaks the norms of her era in several ways. Unlike the vast majority of mothers David knows, Gail works outside her home. She also doesn’t advance any stereotypes of Native Americans, and when she finds out that Marie has made claims of sexual abuse against Frank, Gail is the first to believe her. When her husband tries to make excuses for his brother, Gail is quick to chide him for being so naive. She is strong, and when a group of men arrive to try to intimidate her, she does not cower; instead, she loads a gun and shoots toward them from her window. She insists that her husband face the truth regarding his brother so that she can raise their son in peace and safety. Gail shows the power that exists when women come together in support of each other. Although she could not secure justice for Marie, there is closure in Frank’s death and in her own insistence that her family leave Bentrock behind.

Marie Little Soldier

Marie Little Soldier is employed to care for the Hayden household while Gail works and to also care for David in his mother’s absence. Gail cares deeply for Marie’s well-being, and David notes that he loves her. When Marie falls ill, she insists that she doesn’t want to see a doctor. Frank, the town doctor, is summoned for her, anyway, and Marie’s screams of protest are heard by David during the examination. Later evidence suggests that Marie didn’t...