Sabra Cravat

Yancey Cravat

Husband and wife with a passionate but turbulent marriage, marked by Yancey's restless adventuring and Sabra's steadying influence.

Isaiah

Isaiah is a loyal servant or employee in the Cravat household, deeply respectful and helpful to Sabra.

Mrs. Big Elk

A Native American woman who interacts with Sabra as a neighbor and occasional helper, reflecting the frontier's racial dynamics.

Donna Cravat

Mother and daughter, with Donna often caught between her mother's strong will and her father's romantic legacy.

Felice Venable

Sabra's mother, a refined Southern lady who disapproves of Sabra's frontier life and Yancey's influence.

Grandma Standing Woman

An elderly Native American woman who shares wisdom and a quiet bond with Sabra across cultural divides.

Mother Bridget

A Catholic nun and friend who supports Sabra in her community work and personal struggles.

Cimarron Cravat

Sabra's son, who inherits his father's restless spirit, causing tension with his mother's desire for stability.

Ruby Big Elk

A young Native American woman who works for Sabra, reflecting the complex racial and class hierarchies of the frontier.

Sol Levy

A Jewish merchant and trusted business associate who helps Sabra manage the town's newspaper and finances.

Doc Valliant

The town doctor and a close friend who provides medical care and emotional support to Sabra over many years.

Dixie Lee

A saloon girl and friend who supports Sabra during difficult times, despite their different social standings.

Cimarron

Arrives in Osage with her family, begins to confront the challenges of frontier life and her husband's idealism.

I

Mentioned as Yancey's bride, daughter of the Venable family, who chose him over other suitors.

Chapter II

Listens to Yancey's story, is startled by his plan, and ultimately supports him.

III

Visits Mother Bridget to say goodbye; feels nostalgia and terror about leaving for Indian Territory.

IV

Drives one of the wagons, struggles with the physical demands of the journey and the shock of sleeping outdoors, clings to her genteel upbringing.

V

Struggles with the harsh landscape and her son's education; attempts to impose her own views on Indians; experiences panic when Cim goes missing.

VI

Horrified by Osage's ugliness and lawlessness; confronts Yancey about raising Cim there; negotiates with Doc Nisbett over water barrels.

VII

Inconsolable over the water shortage, she gradually accepts the grotesque realities of frontier life and fears for Yancey's safety as he pursues the Pegler murder investigation.

Chapter VIII

Supervises the family's preparations for church; reflects on Native American families.

IX

Attends the church service with Yancey and Cim, observing the crowd and feeling a mix of reassurance and premonition.

The Founding of the Philomathean Society

Founder of the Philomathean Society; struggles with frontier life and attempts to recreate Southern social order; horrified by Mrs. Waltz's murder and her own naivety.

Chapter XI

Gives birth to Donna and experiences a psychic change, resolving to improve her home and community.

XII

Returns to Wichita after 3.5 years, feels out of place, and embraces her role as matriarch of Osage.

XIII

Returns from Wichita, anxious and then shocked to learn of Yancey's killing of the Kid; later visits the Kid's body in a trance.

Chapter XIV

Content with family and social life, but frustrated by Yancey's refusal of political office and his restless plans. She violently opposes the Cherokee Strip Run, has hysterics, and later tries to keep Yancey home by buying a farm.

Chapter XV

Now a competent newspaper editor running the Oklahoma Wigwam, she has hardened and developed her powers after Yancey's abandonment, rejecting her mother's pleas to return home.

Chapter XVI

Running the Wigwam for five years, leading the purity campaign against Dixie Lee, and confronting Yancey over his decision to defend the harlot.

XVII

Enters the courtroom as representative of the press, watching Yancey's performance.

Chapter XVIII

Struggles with Yancey's return to the Wigwam, feeling her authority diminished; confronts Yancey over his Indian editorial and vows never to forgive him.

XIX

Runs the Wigwam and her household alone; sends Donna East; leads social clubs; clashes with Ruby Big Elk; feels isolated and frustrated.

Chapter XX

Confronts Yancey about the newspaper sign, defends Yancey to Donna, and manages the paper.

Chapter XXI

Runs the Oklahoma Wigwam, devotes a page to Osage news, and maintains the paper's integrity despite the oil boom.

Chapter XXII

Sabra is shocked and devastated by Cim's marriage to Ruby Big Elk, struggling to maintain her composure throughout the wedding festivities.

XXIII

Now a Congresswoman, she orchestrates a social reception in Washington with Donna, introducing Ruby Big Elk to Eastern elites. She still wears her plain gold wedding band, a symbol of her past.

Chapter XXIV

Hosts Masja Krbecek, recounts her pioneering life, and advocates for Indian rights in Congress.

Chapter XXV

Now a Congresswoman, she leads a tour of Bowlegs to expose its lawlessness and is devastated to find Yancey dying.