An elderly, frail woman living in a nursing home who shares the harrowing but hopeful story of her adolescence in Dresden, Germany, during World War II. At 16, her life transforms when she and her family flee their firebombed city alongside an elephant. She is observant and deeply shaped by the empathy and courage of her mother.

Lizzie and Karli's mother, a compassionate and fiercely determined woman who works at the Dresden zoo. She steps up as the head of the family while her husband is away at war, showing unwavering loyalty to those she loves regardless of species or nationality. Her pacifist nature is severely tested by the brutal realities of the conflict.

Lizzie’s eight-year-old brother, a joyful boy who serves as the family's clown despite physical challenges. He enjoys juggling and performing, bringing light and humor to the family even in the darkest circumstances of their refugee journey. His innocence slowly erodes as the war puts his family in immediate danger.

A 21-year-old Canadian navigator in the Royal Air Force whose plane is shot down during the bombing of Dresden. Fluent in German thanks to his Swiss mother, he is an affable former actor who relies on his compass and military training to guide Lizzie's family to safety across a treacherous winter landscape.

A young orphaned elephant from the Dresden zoo named after the singer Marlene Dietrich. When the zoo animals are threatened by the impending bombings, Mutti brings Marlene home, making her a steadfast and calming member of the family through their perilous trek across Germany. She provides physical transportation and emotional comfort to the struggling refugees.

An unnamed nurse in a Canadian nursing home who cares for Lizzie. As a single mother raising a nine-year-old boy, she works hard to provide for her son and serves as the frame narrator who listens to her patient's extraordinary historical account, initially skeptical but drawn in by the tale.

The nine-year-old son of Lizzie's nurse. He bears a striking physical resemblance to Lizzie's younger brother, Karli, and fiercely believes Lizzie's story about the elephant in her garden. He forges a strong bond with the elderly woman and encourages her to recount her past.

Lizzie and Karli's father, who works restoring paintings in a Dresden art gallery before being drafted into the German army. His absence leaves a significant void in the family, though Mutti keeps his memory alive through letters and quiet family moments of reflection.

A brave, compassionate woman who shelters dozens of refugees on her country estate. Disillusioned with the government after her husband's execution, she courageously stands up to German authorities to protect those seeking refuge under her roof, providing a vital sanctuary for Lizzie's exhausted family.

An elderly worker on the Countess's estate. He is highly suspicious of the passing refugees, particularly Peter, and remains loyal to the German authorities. His alertness creates a dangerous obstacle for the escaping family when he notices Peter's British compass.

Mutti's sister who owns a farm outside Dresden. A bitter argument over politics and the changing government causes a deep rift between her household and Mutti's, permanently ending their joyful summer visits and dividing the extended family.

Mutti's brother-in-law, who vehemently supports the new political regime as the means to restore German pride after World War I. His aggressive views cause a permanent rupture with Mutti's pacifist family.

A German army officer who arrives at the estate to investigate Hans's suspicions about an enemy soldier. He served in the same regiment as the Countess's late husband, a personal connection the Countess leverages to protect the refugees.