George Walker

George Walker is one of the novel’s central characters. He is a middle-aged man living the in the small town of Old Ox, Georgia. He has lived a generally uneventful life. Recently, he has decided that he wants to use the land owned by himself and his wife Isabelle as a peanut farm. George and Isabelle could rent out the land for a more passive income, but George suddenly has a desire to be more actively engaged. He has a strained relationship with his adult son, Caleb, as Caleb thought that George never showed proper affection to him. George’s relationship with the residents of Old Ox then becomes strained when he hires two Black men who have recently been freed form slavery. George’s morality compels him to become more active and to take on altruistic risks, such as when he helps Prentiss escape northward...