Almeyda
Almeyda is the central character in the novel. Almeyda is a teenage enslaved girl who grew up on a plantation. Almeyda hears of Palmares, a runway for refugees, and she escapes, but upon reaching there, she discovers that it is not heaven as described.
Entralgo
Entralgo is an aggressive plantation owner who has evil plans to hand over Almeyda to an individual searching for a black virgin's blood to heal him from a strange disease.
Zumbi
Zumbi is the black resistance leader of the people living in Palmares. Sardonically, Zumbi dies and is resurrected to find his warrior wife missing. Zumbi decides to get a white spouse.
Mexia
Mexia is the near-taciturn native maid of a priest called Father Tollinare.
Father Tollinare
Tollinare is a priest who conducts experiments and teaches the incarcerated kids to read and write.
Martin Anninho
Anninho is Almeyda's husband, who is a Muslim by religion. Martin is described as charismatic and intelligent.
Luiza Cosme
Luiza Cosme is the mystical individual who saves Almeyda from the Portuguese soldier when she tries to run away from the destroyed Palmares with her husband.
Almeyda’s Mother
Almeyda's mother has worked all her life as an enslaved person for Entralgo, and Almeyda joins her. Almeyda is saved from rape by her mother, who gave her a herb to block her birth canal when a man tried to rape her.
Ituiba
Ituiba is Almeyda's grandmother, described as unreasonable about everyone apart from Almeyda.
The Black Woman
The Black Woman who arrives on the plantation where Almeyda lives is not enslaved, and she is coming from Palmares. Her appearance and presence motivate Almeyda to travel to Palmares.
Nobrega
Nobrega is an enslaved woman living in Palmares. Almeyda finds it paradoxical that Palmares, a place called heaven, still has enslaved people.
Eccentric lexicographer
A lexicographer is a desperate man trying to run away from military service. However, he becomes useful because he assists Father Tollinare to print a Portuguese dictionary.
