The narrator of Thunder Rolling in the Mountains is Sound of Running Feet, the daughter of Chief Joseph. In many ways she resembles O'Dell's earlier female protagonists, but her personality is less developed. She remains a chronicler of events, curiously distanced. Unlike Bright Morning, who has a complex but very deep relationship with her husband Tall Boy, Sound of Running Feet's love relationship remains in the background. Perhaps the reason is that all the events are overshadowed by the tragedy of Chief Joseph, and that the unhappy outcome is a foregone conclusion from the very first page.

The character of Chief Joseph is closely modeled on his historical counterpart. He is not a literary creation but rather a biographical product of known facts. Even his speech consists of recorded utterances, such as the famous "I will fight no more forever." O'Dell does not create personal relationships for him...