The Water Dancer (Oprah’s Book Club) characters

Appears from the start

An enslaved young man on the failing Lockless plantation in Virginia, where he is the unacknowledged son of the owner, Howell Walker, and an enslaved woman named Rose. He has an extraordinary memory but cannot recover a clear image of his mother, who was sold away when he was small.

Appears from the start

Hiram's mother, separated from him when Howell Walker sold her. His missing memory of her is bound to both his deepest grief and the mysterious power that appears when he is in mortal danger.

Appears from the start

The white master of Lockless and Hiram's father. He recognizes Hiram's intelligence and draws him into service at the main house, but continues to treat him as property and places the plantation's future in his white heir.

Appears from the start

Howell Walker's legitimate son and Hiram's half brother, the intended heir to Lockless. Maynard is careless and dependent, and Hiram is assigned to attend him and compensate for his poor judgment.

First appears in chapter 2

An older enslaved woman at Lockless who cared for Hiram after his mother was sold. The sale of her own children has left her guarded and severe, but she remains Hiram's closest link to family and to the history the plantation tries to erase.

First appears in chapter 5

A young enslaved woman at Lockless whom Hiram loves. She wants a life in which her body and choices are her own, and she is wary of treating affection as freedom while either of them remains subject to the Walkers.

First appears in chapter 9

A free Black man near Lockless whom Hiram believes can help him and Sophia escape. His apparent independence and familiarity with local routes make him seem like a possible guide to a life beyond the plantation.

First appears in chapter 12

A wealthy young white woman associated with the Virginia gentry and the neighboring estate of Bryceton. She presents herself as unusually attentive to Hiram's abilities and to the realities of slavery, though the extent of her commitments is not initially clear.

First appears in chapter 15

Corinne Quinn's capable Black assistant. He helps train Hiram in observation, secrecy, and the discipline required for clandestine work.

First appears in chapter 18

A leading organizer in Philadelphia's Underground network. He combines practical rescue work with a broad political understanding of the struggle against slavery and becomes one of Hiram's guides in the free city.

First appears in chapter 18

Raymond's brother, a man marked by the forced separation of his family. His determination to recover the people taken from him gives Hiram a direct view of how slavery continues to shape life even beyond its immediate reach.

Also known as Moses

First appears in chapter 24

A legendary conductor on the Underground known as Moses. She understands that memory, story, and love are central to the strange form of passage Hiram is learning to control, and she shows him what that gift can accomplish in service of others.