Ann is an illustrator in her late 20s living in Michigan with her wealthy boyfriend, Noah. She recently discovered she is pregnant and feels increasingly isolated in her current relationship. Though she has not spoken to her mother in years, she maintains a deep connection to her grandmother and the sprawling Florida mansion where she grew up.

Hương is a woman in her early 50s living in Florida who assumes the responsibility of caring for her ailing mother. She desires a traditional nuclear family, a goal that leads her into a series of fraught romantic relationships. Her relationship with her adult daughter is marked by physical and emotional distance, miscommunication, and a mutual inability to express vulnerability.

Minh is the matriarch of the Tran family, a woman in her late 60s who lives in a sprawling Florida mansion called the Banyan House. She immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 1973 with her two young children to escape the violence of the war. She collects large amounts of possessions to fill her home, creating an isolated fortress that she fiercely protects.

Noah is a classics professor from a wealthy white family in Michigan. He enjoys a privileged life that contrasts sharply with his girlfriend's upbringing, often ignoring the subtle prejudices his parents direct toward her. His desire for a conventional, comfortable life creates emotional distance between him and Ann.

Vinh is a handsome, persistent man born and raised in America to Vietnamese parents. He resents his cultural heritage and experiences significant frustration regarding his identity and societal treatment. This inner conflict manifests as a volatile and angry temperament shortly after his hasty marriage to Hương.

Wes is Ann's high school boyfriend who runs a local thrift store in their Florida hometown. He has a young son living in California with an ex-wife, though he currently plays no role in the child's life. He retains a lingering affection for Ann and offers her a familiar, comfortable presence when she returns to Florida.

Crystal is Ann's childhood best friend who still lives in their Florida hometown. She married a boy she knew in high school and has built a settled local life. The sudden disintegration of her close friendship with Ann during their adolescence remains an unresolved point of tension.

Xuân is Minh's late husband, a kind and devoted man who married her when she was a teenager in Vietnam. He provided a quiet, steady presence in Minh's life and supported her early entrepreneurial efforts by helping her open a jewelry shop. He died young from an illness, leaving Minh to raise their family alone.

Bình is a charming boy from Minh's youth in Vietnam. He pursues a brief summer romance with her, coercing her into a secret relationship before moving on to marry another girl in their community. He gives Minh a signed photograph of himself before their relationship ends.

Phước is Hương's younger brother, an ambitious and proud businessman who lives in Florida. He flaunts his financial success by wearing expensive clothes and a Rolex watch. He feels entitled to inherit the Banyan House and harbors deep resentment toward his mother and sister when his expectations are challenged.

Diane is a slightly absent-minded white American woman who is married to Phước. She converted her husband to Christianity and generally supports his desire to acquire his mother's sprawling estate, though she remains peripheral to the core family drama.

Gary is Hương's second husband, whom she married when Ann was in high school. He prioritizes his personal possessions, such as his new car, over his stepdaughter's safety, creating a permanent fracture in his marriage to Hương.

Duke is Hương's current romantic partner in Florida. He represents one of Hương's many attempts to find companionship and build a traditional family structure, though he remains a peripheral presence as she manages her mother's declining health.

Cliff is an enthusiastic swimmer who frequents the local Florida beach. He notices Hương's fear of the cold water and gently challenges her to learn how to swim, providing a supportive presence outside of her complicated family dynamics.