The Purchase Price

A wheat farmer facing foreclosure who guards his emotions with stoicism. He is initially distant and wary of Joan's past, but his resolve strengthens as he confronts financial ruin. Over time, his stubborn exterior softens, revealing a capable, dependable partner who fights to save the farm and their growing bond.

A respectable suitor whose engagement with Joan is halted by revelations about her former lover. He embodies propriety and old-money manners, representing a path Joan might have chosen but for the twists of fate and love. His presence underscores the tension between respectable society and the allure of a riskier past.

A New York torch singer who reinvents herself as a farm wife to save a mortgage-laden farm. Resourceful and resilient, she navigates a double life—protecting her past while embracing a future with Jim. Her evolution from performer to farmer’s partner highlights themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and reinvention.

A neighboring farmer who attempts to leverage Joan’s arrival for financial gain, becoming an antagonist in the struggle to keep the land. His actions propel the plot’s tension and test Jim and Joan’s commitment to each other and the farm.

Joan’s wealthy former lover whose influence lingers as a source of temptation and danger. He embodies the lure of a easier past and challenges Joan’s resolve to stay with Jim.

A farm maid who becomes the catalyst for Joan’s initial disguise by swapping identities. She embodies opportunism and practicality, playing a pivotal role in the scheme that sets the couple on their new path.

The neighbor’s adolescent daughter who is cared for by Joan during a difficult moment, reflecting the domestic responsibilities Joan takes on. Her presence highlights the intimate, family-centered side of farm life during hard times.

The neighbor’s wife who anchors the household alongside her daughter. She represents the communal support networks that sustain rural families through economic stress and disaster.