George Walker

George Walker is Isabelle’s husband and Caleb’s father. He is a kind but idle landowner who has spent most of his life squandering the inheritance left to him by his father. After meeting Landry and Prentiss, George decides to stop selling off his acreage and instead use his land to farm peanuts. 

George gains confidence throughout the novel and becomes more selfless. He finds the courage to confront General Glass as he seeks to bring the Weblers to justice. And although he realizes that his health is failing, George insists on accompanying Caleb and Prentiss in their attempt to reach safety as they flee Old Ox. George’s last act is one of self-sacrifice: he points a gun at the sheriff and Wade to divert attention from his son and Prentiss. This proves successful, though George suffers a fatal wound because of his sacrifice.

Isabelle Walker

Isabelle Walker is George’s wife and Caleb’s mother. Her independent spirit and sharp wit attracted George to her from the beginning. While other suitors were overwhelmed by Isabelle’s personality, George believed he had finally found his match when he first saw her. George’s admiration of Isabelle has never wavered over the years, and he thus finds it difficult to be emotionally vulnerable in her presence; this is a truth Isabelle discovers from a conversation with George’s mistress, Clementine. 

Isabelle retreats into herself following the supposed death of Caleb, and even when he returns alive, she continues to live as if she is alone. Nevertheless, she remains steadfastly loyal to her husband, and when a group of women insult him at a dinner gathering, Isabelle storms out after verbally accosting the group. Isabelle is determined to honor the men she has loved and lost, creating a fountain for Landry and breathing new life into George’s burned peanut fields. She fearlessly faces a society which rejects her, pointedly hiring recently freed slaves and giving them a new start in life. She clings to hope while accepting life’s challenges. 

Caleb Walker

Caleb Walker is Isabelle and George’s son. As the novel opens, he is presumed dead, but it turns out that Caleb deserted his Confederate troop in an attempt to save his own life. After returning home, Caleb tries to rekindle his romantic relationship with his childhood friend August; this effort fails, as August is more interested in feeling superior to Caleb rather than in any sense of genuine affection. Caleb’s idealization of August is transformed when he watches August beat Landry to death and finds himself too weak to intervene on Landry’s behalf. He eventually finds the courage to publicly denounce August as a murderer.

When Prentiss is imprisoned and Wade Webler calls for a speedy hanging, Caleb summons the tenacity to single-handedly free him. This makes Caleb a fugitive, and he is forced to flee the comforts of his home and family in an attempt to ensure Prentiss’s safety. In this decision, Caleb finds the determination which he has previously lacked in moments of difficulty. He recreates himself as an independent man who embodies the values of loyalty and justice.

Prentiss

Prentiss is a man who has recently been freed from enslavement on Ted Morton’s plantation. He and his brother, Landry, have no resources to make their intended journey to the North and thus accept George’s offer of temporary employment for fair wages. After Landry’s muder, Prentiss wants justice for his brother but struggles to be heard in his society, where bigotry against Black people is the norm. Indeed, he receives a harsh sentence after spitting in Wade Webler’s face. Prentiss longs for the...