Your cast
We pulled these characters out of your story. Approve the portraits or try another — we'll use the same face in every illustration. Add each person's birth year too, and we'll draw them at the right age on every page: little at the start of the journey, grown by the end.
Give each person a face. We drew a portrait for everyone in your story — we'll use the same face on every page. Approve the ones you like, or tap “Try another” for a different take, and add a birth year so we draw each person the right age. Nothing is painted yet and nothing is final — you can change any face later. When the cast looks right, continue to the scenes.
Ann Jewell Rowley
Mother and protagonist
Appears on
pages 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22
· 10 of 24
Louisa Rowley
Oldest daughter, Ann's right hand
- Age
- nineteen years old — a young woman
- Build
- compact and capable, sleeves-rolled-up practicality
- Skin
- lightly tanned from the trail, warm complexion
- Hair
- warm mid-brown · a braided crown wrapped around her head — never worn loose or in a bun
- Face
- a round friendly face, dark eyes quick to smile, full brows
- Wears
- a russet-red wool dress with sleeves rolled to the elbow, a small checked kerchief knotted at the neck, a work apron of undyed linen
- Details
- the braided crown of hair; carries the family’s small tin candle-lantern in evening scenes
Appears on
pages 8, 10
· 2 of 24
John Rowley
Older son, works at the brick kiln
- Age
- fifteen years old — the oldest boy, on the edge of manhood but still clearly a boy, always clean-shaven
- Build
- tall and lanky, all elbows and wrists, a head taller than his brothers
- Skin
- fair, weather-browned across the nose and cheekbones
- Hair
- dark brown · straight and neatly combed with a side part — the tidiest head of hair in the family
- Face
- a long serious face, steady grey-blue eyes, the beginnings of his father’s strong jaw
- Wears
- a grey wool jacket with sleeves gone too short, a dark-blue neckerchief knotted at the throat, sturdy dark trousers
- Details
- the dark-blue neckerchief he always wears; stands notably taller than the other children
Appears on
pages 11, 12
· 2 of 24
Samuel Rowley
Younger son, works at the brick kiln
- Age
- fourteen years old — a boy, always drawn completely clean-shaven, no beard or whiskers ever
- Build
- broad-shouldered for his age, sturdy and strong from pulling the handcart
- Skin
- fair with ruddy wind-chapped cheeks
- Hair
- chestnut brown · a thick mop of tight curls that will not stay flat, often falling over his forehead
- Face
- round open face, warm brown eyes, thick eyebrows, an easy wide smile — a boy’s smooth face
- Wears
- an olive-brown patched wool coat over a collarless cream shirt, brown trousers with a woven leather belt
- Details
- a small wooden whistle on a cord around his neck; the unruly curls
Appears on
pages 11, 12
· 2 of 24
Elizabeth Rowley Udall
child
- Age
- Eighteen years old — a young woman, notably taller than the children, with grown-up steadiness
- Build
- tall and slender, upright posture of a girl doing a woman’s work
- Skin
- fair with warm rosy cheeks, weathered from outdoor travel
- Hair
- dark chestnut brown · worn up like a grown woman’s — parted in the middle, pinned in a low bun at the nape, no braids, a few loose strands at the temples
- Face
- large dark brown eyes, a composed serious mouth, softly squared jaw — a young woman’s face, not a child’s
- Wears
- a deep navy-blue wool dress with a fitted bodice, long skirt and small white collar, a dark knitted shawl folded neatly over both shoulders
- Details
- a small brass sewing thimble hung on a cord at her waist; the tall young woman of the family — never drawn as a little girl
Richard Rowley
child
- Age
- about eleven years old, wiry and quick
- Build
- wiry and sun-browned, always in motion
- Skin
- fair with wind-chapped cheeks and a light dusting of freckles
- Hair
- dark brown, almost black · short and unkempt, sticking out beneath his battered straw hat
- Face
- large dark watchful eyes, a wide flat nose, prominent ears
- Wears
- faded denim trousers patched at the knees, suspenders over a rough linen shirt with rolled sleeves
- Details
- the battered straw hat he wears low on his brow even at night — no other child wears a hat
Thomas Rowley
child
- Age
- about ten years old, round-cheeked, the youngest of the boys
- Build
- small and soft-featured, still carrying childhood roundness
- Skin
- fair with windburned pink cheeks
- Hair
- pale flaxen blond · straight and roughly cut, with a stubborn cowlick standing up at the crown
- Face
- wide-set pale blue-grey eyes, a small upturned nose, slightly chapped lips
- Wears
- worn wool trousers patched at both knees, a too-large linen shirt, a coarse grey wool coat missing one button, boots wrapped in cloth strips for warmth
- Details
- a small carved wooden button he keeps clutched in one fist for comfort; the pale blond cowlick
Appears on
page 16
· 1 of 24
J