Jeannine Dadier
One of the four female protagonists, Jeannine lives in an universe permanently ingrained in the Great Depression. She struggles in a lonely, unfulfilling relationship, considering splitting up with her boyfriend but not having the willpower to become completely independent.

Joanna
Joanna is another one of the main characters - witty, intelligent, and rebellious. She lives in a world which is just beginning its feminist movement, and Joanna is a vociferous supporter of the campaign. She thinks of herself as the title - a "female man", attempting to get men to see her as not just another woman.

Janet Belin
Janet is another one of the protagonists, coming from a futuristic lesbian society where a plague killed all the men over 800 years ago. She works as a coroner as well as an ambassador to other parallel worlds, and is happily married to another woman named Vittoria.

Alice "Jael" Reasoner
Alice, or "Jael" as the book most of the time refers to her as, is the final protagonist of the novel. Jael is an assassin living in a world where the men and women have split into societies warring with each other. She is a calculating figure who brings the four women together to attempt and instigate a revolution.