Let the Circle be Unbroken Mildred Taylor

The Logan Family

• Cassie Logan: A strong-willed girl willing to fight for anything she believes in. The story takes place from her point of view. She is mainly a tomboy who learns valuable life lessons from her father, grandmother, and Stacey. Cassie is ten and in fifth grade.
• Stacey Logan: He is a 13-year-old boy and gives plenty of advice. He is also portrayed as strong-minded and loving towards his family. The reason why he leaves home is that he is trying to get a job at the cane fields in Louisiana to earn extra money for the family. He is the son of Mary and David Logan (Mama and Papa). Stacey also feels that it is his responsibility to take care of the family; he has grown up and has become more emotional and territorial towards his family, which is why he goes for the job in Louisiana.
• Christopher-John Logan: Stacey and Cassie's second younger brother. Christopher-John is notorious for being a rule follower and doesn't like going against the family's decisions and getting himself in trouble.
• Little Man Logan (Clayton Chester): Stacey and Cassie's youngest brother. He is very neat and tidy and does not like to be discriminated against even though he does not understand what that is at his young age.
• David Logan: The father of the Logan children, known as Papa. He worked on the railroad and tries to teach his children life lessons in hopes of keeping them get out of trouble.
• Mary Logan: The mother in the Logan family. She used to be a school teacher, but now she organizes groups to change society. Mary is Cousin Bud's aunt, but Cousin Bud is more like her brother since Bud is three years older than she is, and they grew up together.
• Caroline "Big Ma" Logan: She is the mother of David and Hammer Logan and the grandmother of the Logan children. She is portrayed as a strong and good-natured woman. Caroline Logan has influenced Cassie Logan growing up by passing on the family stories and history to her. She helps many people who are sick and those who have been treated badly by white people. She is very religious and has passed her views to Cassie. Caroline Logan is otherwise known as Big Ma. She is the mother-in-law of Mary Logan, mother of David, and Hammer Logan. Last but not least, she is the grandmother of Stacey, Cassie, Christopher-John, and of course, Little Man.
• Uncle Hammer: David Logan's older brother and Cassie's uncle. He moved to Chicago before the Logan saga because of the racism in Mississippi. He is portrayed as having a hair-trigger temper, which is something a black man "isn't allowed to have" in the Depression-era South. He provided financial assistance to the rest of the family several times (which they secretly appreciate).

Other characters

• Suzella Rankin: Cousin of the Logan family children. She's an attractive light-skinned girl who initially accepts the advances of white young men, but is later found to be black, with embarrassing consequences.
• T.J. Avery: A friend of the Logan children. He gets put on trial for a murder committed by the Simms brothers but is still convicted for the murder, even though Mr. Jamison gave solid evidence that R.W. and Melvin Simms committed the murder. He gets sentenced to death. He is responsible for making Mama lose her job in the previous book Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, and is beaten up by R.W. and Melvin Simms after the murder, breaking his ribs and jaw. Described as a manipulative, foolish teenager, and somehow became Stacey's friend. (Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry. Ch.1)
• Jeremy Simms: A white teenager who is friends with the Logan children. He likes the Logan children and he doesn't abuse black people, unlike the rest of his family.
• Mr. Wade Jamison: A white lawyer that supports the Logans and other black families in their town. He tried to defend T.J. at his trial.
• Cousin Bud: The father of Suzella and married to a white woman. He is also Mary's (Mama's) nephew.
• Lottie: She is the sister of Mary Logan.
• Lee Annie: An elderly black woman that had an urge to learn about the history of the U.S. and go and register to vote. Ms. Lee Annie is like family to the Logans.
• Mr. Morrison: A member of the Logan family after he was fired from his job. His family died when he was young.
• Dubé Cross: The oldest child in his family, also the man of the family because his father is gone.
• Moe Turner: A sharecropper and has his cotton plowed. He also ran away with Stacy to go work at the sugarcane fields.
• Harlan Granger: A white land owner that likes to take all the land and money away from the black people, most of them are sharecroppers. He owns a lot of the land in their town, e.g. Granger Plantation.
• Melvin Simms: Jeremy and R.W.’s brother and also was in the plan of using T.J.
• The Barnetts: A couple that owns a store in Strawberry that people shop at. Jim Lee, the husband, is killed in a robbery by the Simms brothers. Mrs. Barnett accuses T.J. of the murder because he was the only unmasked character in the crime.
• Mr. Farnsworth: A government agent that tells the Turners that he must plow up his cotton.
• Jake Willis: A black man who does not ingratiate himself with the townspeople due to his sneering, meddlesome attitude. He picks fights with Uncle Hammer and tries to court Suzella. He is an inveterate gambler and prone to violence. At the end of the novel he loses an eye in the demonstration and blames Russell.
• Sheriff Dobbs: The sheriff of a town in Louisiana. He helps the Logans locate Stacey when he runs away.
• The Shorters: Sharecroppers that also must plow cotton.
• The Laniers: Sharecroppers that also must plow cotton.
• The Averys: T.J.'s family including his father, Joe, his mother, his younger brother Claude, and his two sisters. Friends with the Logan's.
• Russell: Lee Annie's grandson. A handsome dark-skinned man who is in the army and very fond of Hammer Logan. Later in the story he takes a liking to Suzella.
• Wordell: Lee Annie's grandson. An odd boy who does not talk much but, when he does it is usually something helpful and/or important