Spring Moon
Spring Moon is one of the main characters in the novel. She is married to Glad Promise and has a daughter named Lustrous Jade. Spring Moon takes pride in her ancestral origin and culture. However, she has a brief love affair with her uncle and tutor, Bold Talent. Under his instructions, Spring Moon learns to read and write.
Lustrous Jade
Jade is the firstborn child of Spring Moon and Glad Promise. Unlike her mother, Jade detests the Chinese tradition especially its views of women. She refuses to yield to the Chinese traditions and constantly argues with Bold Talent. On his deathbed, her grandfather referred to her as his “son” which only complicated her identity crisis.
Bold Talent
Bold Talent becomes the leader of his family after his father dies. He is forced to abandon his studies at Yale to assume his rightful role as the patriarch. Through his modern reforms, education becomes paramount for boys and girls. He also builds modernized hospitals to cater to everyone in the country; both rich and poor.
August Winds
August Winds is the adopted son of Bold Talent. He is raised by the Chang family but disappears when he comes of age. After years of redefining himself, August returns home a wealthy man. He is confident, resilient, and shrewd. Soon after his return, he asks for Jade’s hand but she rejects his proposal. Jade gets married to a peasant son named Resolute Spirit.
