Ruth's side of the family
- James: the narrator, her son
- Ruth McBride Jordan: mother of 12 children and the second narrator
- Hudis Shilsky aka Mameh: Ruth's mother. Despite being crippled on the left side of her body, she still managed to be a loyal wife and good mother.
- Fishel Shilsky aka Tateh: Ruth's father. Tateh was a terrible husband who also happened to be a rabbi, who would get into bed with his daughters. He even mocked his wife in public for being a cripple.
- Gladys "Dee-dee" Shilsky: Ruth's sister, the only sibling of Ruth's that was born in America. Often, Ruth would say that she was envious of her because she didn't have to deal with the negative stigma of being Jewish like Ruth did.
- Sam Shilsky: Ruth's brother. He ran away from home at 15, no longer wanting to deal with Tateh. Ruth says that he died while fighting in the Second World War.
James's side of the family
- Andrew Dennis McBride: the biological father of James, Ruth's first husband, a very caring father and pastor. Died of lung cancer.
- Hunter Jordan: stepfather, Ruth's second husband, died after having a relapse of a stroke
- From eldest to youngest (excluding James, who is the eighth child): Dennis, Rosetta, Billy, David, Helen, Richard, Dotty, Kathy, Judy, Hunter, and Henry: James's 11 siblings (Jacqueline "Jack": Andrew's daughter from a previous marriage)
- Nash and Etta: his grandparents
- Henry Walter, and Garland: uncles
- Clemy: cousin from down South
- Z and Maya: his nieces
- Becky: sister-in-law
- Karen aka Karone, Leander Bien, and Laurie Wesman: ex-girlfriends
- Stephanie: current wife
- Linwood Bob Hinson: cousin from North Carolina
- Azure and Jordan: James's children
Other characters
- Frances Moody: Ruth's very close childhood friend, a gentile, the only schoolmate who befriended Ruth
- Peter: Ruth's first boyfriend, who got her pregnant. Ruth later dumped him after she found out that he had gotten another girl pregnant.
- Billy Smith: James's best friend
- Big Richard: Jack's husband and James's friend[2]
- Mrs. Ingram: Ruth's best friend as an adult
- Israel Levy: old friend of Ruth who allowed her father (rabbi) a permanent place
- Rocky: the manager of the barber shop
- C. Lawler Rogers and Hal Schiff: music teachers
- David H. and Ann Fox Dawson: donors who helped James go to Europe concerning his aspiration to be a musician
- Chicken Man: A friend of Big Richard's who teaches James all he knows about the streets and helps him turn his life around
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