Grace Coyle

Grace is the protagonist of the novel, and the daughter of Sarah. Colly is her brother, and Finbar and Bran are her half-siblings. Grace is 14 years old at the start of the novel, and is strong and kind. She is close to Colly, but hates her mother. Grace sets off to look for work dressed as a boy after Sarah cut her hair and sent her from the house. After Colly's death, Grace begins hearing his voice in her head and have conversations with him. Grace is terrified of Boggs.

During her journey Grace becomes tough and reckless, stealing and working hard jobs to survive. She works on a booley moving cattle southward, and she works doing chores for Spiderwoman. Grace loses her grasp on reality more and more as she is met with hardships. She befriends John Bart, and travels with him and his friend McNutt...