| 1 | Elijah | Carter | A coal miner. Aka: Pa. |
| | Cussy Mary | Carter | Elijah's daughter. A Park Horse librarian. Aka: Bluet. |
| | Charles | Dickens | English writer and social critic. |
| | Eleanor | Roosevelt | Former First Lady of the United States. |
| | Caroline | Barnes | A widow. |
| | Franklin D. | Roosevelt | 32nd U.S. President. |
| | Eula | Foster | The head librarian of the Pack Horse Library. |
| | Agnes | | Pa's acquaintance. |
| 2 | Hewitt | Hartman | Cussy's suitor. |
| | Vester | Frazier | A Pastor. |
| | Charlie | Frazier | Cussy's husband. |
| | Mr. | Murphy | Owner of horses and cattle. |
| | Bib | | A horse. |
| | Thomas | | A doctor. Aka: Doc. |
| 3 | Junia | | An old mule. |
| 4 | Angeline | Moffit | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Willie | Moffit | Angeline's husband. |
| | Harriett | Hardin | The bookbinder and assistant librarian supervisor. |
| | Honey | | The name of Angeline's child. Aka: Mei Li. |
| | Minnie | | Angeline's acquaintance. |
| | Jackson | Lovett | Cussy's new patron. |
| | Johnny | Moses | Agnes's old rented horse. |
| | Mr. | Baxter | Agnes' acquaintance. |
| 5 | Michael | McKinney | Cussy's acquaintance. |
| 6 | Irvin | Cobb | American author, humorist, editor and columnist. |
| | John | Steinbeck | American author. |
| | Mr. | Prine | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Loretta | Adams | One of Cussy's library patrons. Aka: Retta. |
| 7 | Colton | | A hard-working miner. Pa's uncle. |
| | Daniel | | Pa's older brother. |
| | Jonah | White | A miner. |
| | Emma | McCain | An old midwife. |
| | Wilfred | Gibson | British Georgian poet associated with World War II. |
| | David Herbert | Lawrence | An English writer and poet. |
| | Martha | Hannah | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Flynn | Evans | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Oren | Taft | One of the library patrons. |
| 8 | Mrs. | Abernathy | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Bold | Venture | Kentucky Derby winner. |
| | H. L. | Davis | American novelist. |
| | Lucy | Moore | British-born historian and writer. |
| | Winnie | Parker | The schoolmistress. |
| | Queenie | Johnson | Negro Pack Horse librarian. |
| | Birdie | | A young Pack Horse librarian. Aka: Bird Nest. |
| | Franklin | | Queenie's husband. |
| | Willow | | Queenie's grandmother. |
| | Aletha | | Doc's housekeeper. |
| 9 | Lucy | | One of the students. |
| | Lucy | Fitch Perkins | American illustrator and writer of children's book. |
| | Albert | | Winnie's husband. |
| | Henry | | One of the students. |
| | Nessie | | One of the students. |
| | Laura | Ingalls Wilder | An American writer. |
| | Clementine | | One of the students. |
| | Norton | | One of the students. |
| 10 | Abby Green | Rockefeller | American socialite and philanthropist. |
| | Nester | Rylie | Martha Hannah's acquaintance. |
| | Devil John | Smith | Martha Hannah's husband. |
| | Junior | | One of Martha Hannah's children. |
| | Lettie | | One of Martha Hannah's children. |
| | Colleen | | One of Martha Hannah's children. |
| | Carson | | One of Martha Hannah's children. |
| | Lawsy | | One of Martha Hannah's children. |
| | William | | A child collecting berries. |
| | Myrtle | | One of Loretta Adams' cats. |
| | Milkweed | | One of Loretta Adams' cats. |
| 11 | Lee | Sturgil | A coal miner. |
| 12 | R.C. | Cole | One of Cussy's library patrons. |
| | Hallie | Cole | R.C. Cole's mother. The first female fire watcher in Kentucky. |
| | Mr. | Beck | Ruth's father. |
| | Ruth | | R.C. Cole's girlfriend. |
| | Maude | | Queenie's rented horse. |
| | Bill | | A postmaster. |
| | Patrick | | Mrs. Evans son. |
| | Abigail | | Patrick's wife. |
| | Sallie | | Patrick and Abigail's daughter. |
| | Maybelle | | A cow. |
| | Mr. | Evans | Patrick's father. |
| | Timmy | Flynn | A library patron. |
| | Mrs. | Flynn | Timmy's mother. |
| | Pell | Gardner | One who gave tips on whittling. |
| 14 | Gracie | Banks | A postmistress. |
| 16 | Lydia | | Doc's late wife. |
| | Randall | Mills | A mountain doctor. |
| | Doreen | | A nun. |
| 20 | Aldous | Huxley | English writer and philosopher. |
| | Pearl S. | Buck | American writer and novelist. |
| 22 | Marie | Antoinette | The last Queen of France. |
| | Benny | Goodman | American clarinetist and bandleader. |
| | Mr. | Hamilton | A reputable water witch. |
| 24 | Howard | Moore | A coal miner. |
| | Lena | Nofcier | Chairman of the librarian service for the Kentucky PTA. |
| | Mrs. | Vance | Harriett's acquaintance. |
| | Mable | Moss | Eula's acquaintance. |
| | Mr. | Moss | Mable's husband. |
| | Cory | Lincoln | Harriett's cousin. |
| | Paul | | Birdie's horse. |
| | Constance | Poole | Head of the sewing bee club. |
| 25 | Gordon | Brown | A miner. |
| 26 | Bette | Davis | American actress. |
| | Davies | Kimbo | A sheriff. |
| | Allen | Thompson | Kimbo's acquaintance. |
| 27 | Miss | Palmer | Dr. Miles secretary. |
| | Scott | | Doc's acquaintance. |
| 29 | Samuel | | Birdie's coming son. |
| 32 | Adams | Dalton | Troublesome's banker. |
| 33 | Pablo | Picasso | Spanish painter. |
| 34 | Comfort | Marshall | Henry's mother. |
| | Mr. | Barrie | Scottish novelist and playwright. |
| 36 | Susan B. | Anthony | American women's rights activist. |
| | Aaron | | Queenie's son. |
| | Mr. | Patchett | Queenie's boss. |
| 40 | Eldon | | Cussy's uncle. |
| 43 | Lila | Dawson | A blind widowed woman who has raised four babies. |
| 46 | William | Butler Yeasts | Irish poet. |
| | Margie | | Judge's wife. |
| | Alonzo | | Loretta Adams's nephew. |
| | Horace | | The sheriff's deputy. |
| | Gibson | | The mayor. |
