Selin is an American student of Turkish descent majoring in literature at Harvard College. Introverted and intellectually gifted, she aspires to become a novelist and constantly filters her life experiences through the books she reads, seeking to understand the "human condition." She struggles with social anxiety and finds traditional campus interactions baffling, preferring the quiet isolation of the library. During her sophomore year, she wrestles with depression as she tries to parse her unresolved feelings for her former crush.

Ivan is a Hungarian-born mathematics graduate student studying at Berkeley. During his time at Harvard, he engaged in a confusing, largely email-based relationship with Selin before stopping communication at the end of the summer. He maintains a cryptic, evasive communication style that forces others to guess his intentions, and he keeps specific details about his personal life obscured.

Svetlana is a highly intelligent Serbian student at Harvard majoring in history and literature. The daughter of a Jungian analyst, she approaches the world through abstract reasoning and prioritizes an "ethical" life. She pays close attention to her friends' emotional states and frequently offers blunt, practical advice regarding their personal struggles.

Selin's mother is a Turkish émigré and a practicing physician. She holds traditional expectations regarding her daughter's education and discourages her from taking on unnecessary work. Facing her own severe health challenges—including a double mastectomy for breast cancer—she remains highly observant of Selin's mental health and advocates for medical intervention.

Lakshmi is a fellow student who works on the literary magazine and pulls Selin into broader social circles. She possesses a confident social ease, securing lodging for herself and Selin with strangers during a winter break trip to Martha's Vineyard. She holds traditional views on arranged marriages that surprise her peers.

Zita is Ivan's ex-girlfriend who intervenes to offer Selin clarity about his character. After learning of Selin's distress, she arranges a phone call to explain Ivan's living arrangements and romantic history, providing crucial context that alters Selin's understanding of the previous year.

Juho is an accomplished 23-year-old Finnish student working on a computer science project at Harvard. He already holds doctorates in chemistry and physics and regularly hosts dinners for other fellowship students. He commits heavily to his new relationship, learning Spanish for his girlfriend.

Riley is one of Selin's roommates in overflow housing. She adopts a massive, 26-pound cat that causes cleanliness issues in their shared living space. She eventually pairs off with a dormmate, joining the campus trend of serious relationships.

Priya is one of Selin's roommates in overflow housing. She tries unsuccessfully to manage the unpleasant odors caused by Riley's new cat by burning incense in their common room.

The Count is a student with a complicated Polish name whom Selin privately nicknames after an Iris Murdoch character. He represents one of Selin's early, physically uncomfortable attempts at sexual experimentation and later avoids her at parties.

Mesut is a local Turkish man who assists Selin with transportation during her travel writing assignment. Despite their differences, they share meals and establish a brief romantic connection before she continues her journey.

Volkan is a Turkish hostel worker who forms a brief attachment to Selin. She finds his personality tiresome and attempts to leave him behind, but he follows her to Konya and bribes a receptionist so they can stay together.

Koray is a handsome Turkish man whose erratic behavior deeply unsettles Selin. His actions prompt her to physically distance herself by locking herself in a bathroom to escape him.

Peter is the leader of the English teaching program in Hungary where Selin volunteered. He serves as a networking bridge, introducing Ivan to his current girlfriend and later providing Selin with vital contacts for her trip to Russia.

Eunice is Ivan's serious girlfriend. She moved in with Ivan in California, a fact that remained hidden from Selin during her confusing interactions with him.

Lukas is one of Selin's dormmates. He discusses literature with Selin and eventually enters into a relationship with her roommate Riley.

Oak is a dormmate living in Selin's building who participates in odd campus activities with Lukas.

Matt is Svetlana's new boyfriend, representing the broader campus shift where many of Selin's friends begin pairing off into serious relationships.

Lara is a painfully shy student from Mexico City who attends Wellesley. Obsessed with theater, she plans to spend six months alone in Finland to see if she can tolerate the country before permanently relocating with Juho.

Evren is Selin's cousin who lives in Adana, Turkey. He visits with Selin while she navigates the region for her travel guidebook assignment.

Selin's grandmother lives in an apartment in Ankara. Her home serves as Selin's first stop in Turkey and brings back childhood memories of jet lag, reading through sleepless nights, and feeling culturally out of place.