A young and earnest Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy, he becomes a lifelong friend to Aminata and supports the abolitionist cause.

Aminata's father and a Fula tribe jeweler, he is an educated and kind man who teaches Aminata to be strong and smart.

Aminata’s skilled Bamana tribe mother, who is a respected midwife and teaches Aminata midwifery and her native language.

A gentle and strong man who belongs to the village Chief as a second-generation captive, known for his skills in hunting but unable to speak after being enslaved.

The rebellious youngest wife of the village chief, she travels with Aminata to the new world.

Aminata’s husband and father of her children, he meets her when they are young and remains a significant presence in her life.

An enslaved African woman who gives birth to a baby that Aminata helps deliver during their forced march.

An ugly but not necessarily malicious man with orange-colored hair, who is unexpectedly kind to Aminata on the slave ship.

A chief on the slave ship, admired by Aminata, who speaks with authoritative wisdom.

An enthusiastic abolitionist, who suggests writing Aminata’s story.

A fellow captive who bonds with Aminata during their journey by teaching each other words from their native languages.

A Bamana woman who Aminata meets on the way to Appleby’s plantation and who shares a connection to Aminata’s homeland.

A brutal plantation owner who claims to own Aminata and is the father of an atrocity against her.

A fellow Muslim and skilled indigo farmer with insights into life on Appleby’s plantation, Mamed becomes Aminata’s friend.

A large, nurturing woman who becomes Aminata's first friend in the New World, teaching her English and introducing her to her new environment.

A slave who cleans for Appleby and tends to her baby separately from the plantation community.

A plantation worker and visitor to Georgia’s home, he aids Aminata following a violent encounter.

A woman Aminata assists during childbirth on another plantation; she raises important issues regarding family and secrecy.

A weak woman who endures attention from Appleby, ultimately succumbing to illness.

A sympathetic Jewish indigo inspector who buys Aminata and encourages her education while remaining a controversial figure.

A wealthy and lecherous slave trader in Charles Town who attempts to assault Aminata.

Kind and gentle, Solomon Lindo's wife teaches Aminata to write before her own untimely death.

Lindo’s household manager who becomes Aminata’s friend after initial antagonism.

A market vendor in Charles Town seen by Aminata, representing everyday interactions in the marketplace.

Solomon Lindo’s unfriendly sister-in-law, who makes Aminata’s life more challenging after Solomon’s wife dies.

The owner of Fraunces Tavern, Sam helps Aminata escape her bondage and becomes a firm ally.

A talented cello-playing slave, whose performance deeply moves Aminata due to his unspoken yearning for freedom.

An early student of Aminata in New York, who becomes symbolic of the education and empowerment of freed slaves.

One of Aminata’s students, whose romantic interest and eventual marriage align with the community’s development in New York.

An elderly student of Aminata’s, noteworthy for her dedication to learning the alphabet.

A Tory from Boston, an encompassing figure in Miss Betty’s life and education.

A British naval officer with a notable presence in New York, whose interactions with Aminata are protective and practical.

Malcom Waters’ young mistress, her story intertwines with Aminata’s as she seeks shelter and a new life in New York.

An important British officer who employs Aminata to help register blacks wishing to emigrant, demonstrating the systemic ties between freedom and administration.

A Shelburne print shop owner who becomes a source of support and information for Aminata upon her arrival in Nova Scotia.

A blind preacher in Nova Scotia, offering shelter and faith to Aminata when she arrives, based on a historical figure.

A young assistant to Daddy Moses, representing the fusion of necessity and spiritual support.

Daddy Moses’ practical wife with a strict sense of morality, managing resources in their home.

Aminata’s spirited daughter whose unresolved tragedy sets an emotional backdrop to Aminata’s life journey.

A white Loyalist who appears kind but whose actions betray deeper malice, prompting serious consequences for Aminata’s daughter.

Alverna’s husband, false in his demeanor, with hidden intentions affecting Aminata and May.

A hardworking man victimized by racial tensions highlighted in violent circumstances in Nova Scotia.

A Black Loyalist leader in Nova Scotia whose efforts to secure promised lands represent real historical advocacy.

An amiable and conversational innkeeper, whose hospitality is part of Aminata’s new life in Halifax.

A strategic leader negotiating for land, his dealings with Aminata symbolize complex African-British relations.

A resourceful shopkeeper in Freetown, showing adaptability and community enterprise along with Aminata.

A pragmatic businessman in Freetown, disengaged from politics but instrumental in its social landscape.

A Temne trader who represents a cultural divide, showing skepticism toward Aminata’s claims of African identity.

Clarkson’s aide in Sierra Leone, entrusted with delicate negotiations and witness to tension between settlers and traders.

A black settler whose defiance leads to tragedy at the hands of a colonial power during a crucial encounter.

A child linked symbolically to Aminata’s lost innocence and separation from her roots during a slave march.

A naval surgeon turned abolitionist governor in Freetown, supportive of Aminata’s quest to reconnect with her past.

Falconbridge’s supportive wife in Freetown, offering companionship and counsel to Aminata.

A British military official who, upon understanding Aminata’s past, resolves to aid her return to her origins.

A deceitful Fula trader on Bance Island, whose duplicity threatens Aminata’s return journey to Bayo.

A young villager who offers Aminata aid and shelter during a pivotal moment in her quest for freedom.

A young visitor who revives Aminata’s lost connection to her African heritage by sharing her name.

A village leader who proposes marriage to Aminata, illustrating cultural settings in her homeland.

A botanist on an ocean passage whose collection aims to captivate and educate audiences back in England.

John Clarkson’s gracious wife who hosts Aminata in her London home during her abolition work.

Clarckson’s reticent butler whom Aminata relies on for domestic insights, touching on racial and social tensions.

A fervent abolitionist whose dedication intersects with Aminata’s own fight for justice and narrative agency.

A regal figure in England whose rumored African ancestry draws Aminata's interest during her audience at court.

The ailing monarch whose symbolic meeting with Aminata juxtaposes authority with vulnerability.