Polly's husband and closest confidant, Charlie owns a saloon in Warrens and wins Polly's freedom through a card game. He supports Polly's independence and helps her establish a life in Salmon Canyon.

Polly's father, a farmer in Northern China, whose failed harvest leads to him selling Polly. He is a complex figure in Polly's life, remembered both for his kindness and for the circumstances that led to her being sold.

A former farm laborer for Polly's family, he becomes the head of a bandit group and buys Polly, eventually selling her to a brothel in Shanghai. He is driven by a desire for revenge and financial gain.

Polly's first love in the United States, Jim is a packer who helps protect her in Warrens. He shares a familiar cultural connection with Polly and strives to buy her freedom before his untimely death.

The owner of the saloon in Warrens where Polly works, Hong King is Polly's Chinese enslaver. He is described as predatory and controls her to profit from her work, with his gambling habits leading to his eventual downfall.