Hanneke is an 18-year-old girl living in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. She uses her blonde-haired, green-eyed appearance as a cover while working as a finder of black-market goods. Hardened by the death of her boyfriend and the realities of the occupation, she operates under a strict motto of survival first. Her cynical exterior masks deep feelings of guilt over her past idealism.

Ollie is a university student and the older brother of Hanneke's deceased boyfriend. He is careful and steady, speaking perfect German to avoid detection during encounters with soldiers. He secretly acts as a dedicated member of the Dutch resistance, working to protect Jewish citizens from deportation.

A white-haired, shortsighted widow living alone in Amsterdam. Her husband and sons are dead, leaving her deeply isolated. She built a secret life harboring a Jewish family in her late husband's furniture shop and becomes desperate when the sole survivor of that family vanishes from her home.

A 15-year-old Jewish girl with curly black hair and pale skin. She sought refuge with Mrs. Janssen after her parents and sister were discovered by the Nazis. Her sudden and inexplicable disappearance from a secure hiding place drives the central mystery of Hanneke's investigation.

Hanneke's deceased boyfriend who joined the Navy on his seventeenth birthday to fight the Nazis. He was a handsome, redheaded boy known for making others laugh. His sudden death heavily influences the actions and guilt of those he left behind.

A teenage girl who was sent away to Den Haag by her parents. She shares a deep friendship with Mirjam Roodveldt. Like her friend, she has curly black hair, though she is taller and has a distinct birthmark on her chin.

A 15-year-old Jewish girl who maintains a dynamic, chatty personality despite the dangers of the occupation. She works at the theater nursery caring for Jewish children awaiting deportation. She secretly uses a camera to document the German occupation and preserve historical evidence.

A 15-year-old blonde, handsome boy who works as Mrs. Janssen's errand boy. He is a former schoolmate of both Mirjam and Amalia, holding personal connections to the missing girl's past.

The wife of a wealthy magazine publisher. She is frequently overdressed and comes across as brusque and arrogant. She complains about the difficulty of procuring luxury goods during wartime and makes remarks that suggest she is highly sympathetic to the occupying forces.

An undertaker in Amsterdam who employs Hanneke as a receptionist. He uses his legitimate business operations to procure and distribute illegal goods on the black market, working closely with Hanneke to supply their clients.

Hanneke's former best friend from childhood. Their relationship abruptly ended when Elsbeth married a member of the Gestapo, a decision Hanneke views as a fundamental betrayal of their country and of Bas's memory.

A secretary at the Jewish Lyceum and an active participant in Ollie's resistance group. She is highly protective of her younger cousin and works to coordinate efforts to help the Jewish community in Amsterdam.

A university student and close friend of Ollie's who participates in clandestine resistance meetings. He helps the group plan logistics for hiding and feeding persecuted citizens.

Hanneke's father. A former translator who was paralyzed on his right side before Hanneke was born. Unable to find work due to his physical condition, he relies on his daughter's income to support the household.

Hanneke's mother. A piano teacher who struggles to find students during the occupation. She believes her daughter works a legitimate job as a receptionist and worries frequently about Hanneke's safety.

Mrs. Janssen's deceased husband. He owned a furniture shop and secretly constructed a hidden room to protect his Jewish business partner and his family from the Nazis.

Mirjam's father. He was in business with Mr. Janssen before the occupation forced him to take his family into hiding in the back room of the furniture shop.