The only member of the Price family not to serve as a narrator, Reverend Nathan Price is red-haired, blue-eyed veteran of World War II. In the war, he an enemy shell injured and concussed him. While he was surviving in a pig shed, the rest of his platoon was captured and killed. Upon the reverend’s return to the US, his survivor’s guilt causes the darkest parts of his personality to arise. He becomes an abusive husband and father, using his fists, belt, and religion as a means of preserving dominance and assuring himself that he is not a coward.

Despite lacking the blessing of the Mission League, Reverend Price insists on moving his family to Kilanga, where he intends to continue the evangelistic mission established there. His ignorance of the customs, inability to compromise, blind faith in his own infallibility and authority, and dedication to preserving his own power lead to the failure of his mission, his family’s abandonment, and his ultimate descent into madness and death.

Mississippi-born Orleanna Price is the wife of Reverend Nathan Price. Despite his despotic control over the family, Orleanna does her best to safeguard and nurture her daughters. When uprooted to the Congo, Orleanna tries to adapt, but she finds that she is grossly unprepared for the differences in daily life found in the Belgian Congo.