Daisy Thornton: one of the main characters in the story, becomes a child bride, 16 yrs old, when she marries Guy Thornton
Tom: Daisy's cousin who is in love with her and wants her as his own wife
Julia Hamilton: friend of Guy's and his sister, secretly in love with Guy
Guy Thornton: the other main character of the story - has a difficult romance and marriage with Daisy
Mr. McDonald: Daisy's father, who approves of her marriage to Guy initially, but pushes for a divorce after Guy hits a patch of bad luck and loses his wealth
Francis Thornton: Guys's sister - she is unsure of Guy's marriage to Daisy at first, thinking Daisy is perhaps too young for things to be successful, but comes to love Daisy as a sister regardless