Clora: The main narrator, a slave woman who commits suicide to save herself and her children from further torment. Her spirit watches over her descendants throughout the novel.
Fammy: Clora's mother, who kills herself and the Master after enduring repeated rapes and having her children sold away.
Always: Clora's first child, a daughter who embodies her mother's strength and wisdom. Always is repeatedly raped by the Young Master and later sold to a cruel man named Doak Butler.
Sun: Clora's light-skinned son who escapes to the North with the help of his half-sister Loretta. He passes as white, marries his wealthy employer's daughter, and lives in luxury.
Peach: Clora's beautiful, light-skinned daughter who is sold to a kind man who falls in love with her. They marry and move to Scotland, where Peach changes her name to Peachel.
Plum: Clora's sickly youngest child who dies tragically while trying to escape.
Loretta: The Young Master's selfish daughter who helps Sun escape but later gets Peach sold out of jealousy. She eventually marries the cruel Master Doak.
Master Doak: The man who purchases Always and repeatedly rapes her. He marries Loretta after his first wife dies.

The narrative begins with Clora's ghost at the start of slavery and her early life.
Clora's mother Fammy, who was constantly raped by the Master and bore him nine children, kills both herself and the Master after enduring so much pain. After Fammy's death, Clora is raised by another slave named Elliz. The Master's son takes over the land and continues the reign of terror, raping Clora even before she turns twelve. Clora has four children with the young master - Always, Sun, Peach, and Plum.
Always, Clora's oldest daughter, is darker than her lighter-skinned siblings Sun and Peach who are able to pass for white and escape to a better life. Despite being told she is nothing, Always strives to make the best of her situation, learning to read and work the land prosperously. She survives the Civil War and lives to see emancipation, though racism replaces slavery and humankind continues to suffer from its divisions.
The novel weaves the family's bloodline, showing how from one woman can come descendants of all different colors and nationalities, demonstrating that we are truly one family despite divisions. Clora's spirit narrates the story of her descendants' survival and triumph over the adversity of slavery

Some key themes and elements of the novel include:
- The resilience and strength of the female characters, especially Clara and her daughter Always, who embody the enduring spirit of the family.
- The horrors of slavery, including rape, violence, and the separation of families, which Cooper depicts with dignity and grace.
- The concept of racial identity and "passing" as white for survival, as demonstrated by some of the biracial children Cooper's use of the narrator Clara's spirit as an unusual device to speak directly to the reader, providing a personal and emotional perspective.
- The novel's classification as a "neo-slave narrative" that forces readers to confront America's history of slavery and racism while calling for social regeneration.