Mark is an inquisitive boy living on a farm in a rural area. He possesses a natural curiosity that drives him to observe the world closely, contrasting with his peers' indifference. When his friend Anna begins telling a story about a hidden girl in Nazi Germany, Mark becomes deeply engrossed. The narrative pushes him to ask complex, philosophical questions about morality, inherited evil, and unconditional love, often frustrating the adults around him who lack clear answers.

Anna is a wise and empathetic storyteller who invents the tale of Heidi to entertain her friends. Her storytelling is extraordinarily vivid, detailed, and serious in tone, painting a realistic picture of life under the Third Reich. She challenges Mark to think critically about his own life and beliefs, asking him difficult questions about whether he blindly accepts his parents' morals.

Heidi is the fictional daughter of Adolf Hitler in Anna's ongoing story. Born with a red birthmark on her face and a limp, she is kept completely hidden from the public because she fails to meet the Nazi regime's standard of physical perfection. Initially naive, Heidi spends her days reading *Mein Kampf* and obeying her caretakers, but she slowly begins to awaken to the realities of the outside world.

In Anna's story, Adolf Hitler is the dictatorial leader of the Nazi regime and Heidi's father. He keeps Heidi completely hidden from the world because her physical imperfections contradict his ideological pursuit of a "perfect" Aryan race, visiting her only rarely while demanding absolute loyalty.

Little Tracey is the youngest member of the bus stop group. Her initial anxiety about starting school prompted Anna to begin their daily storytelling tradition. Tracey prefers stories with elements of fantasy or ordinary people, and she enthusiastically contributes ideas to the narrative, such as giving the character the name Heidi.

Ben is a boy in the bus stop group who acts as a direct foil to Mark. He is largely indifferent to deep philosophical matters and prefers thrilling stories filled with action, battles, and war. When he falls ill and misses the bus for several days, it allows Anna to tell Heidi's story more deeply to Mark and Tracey.

Fraulein Gelber is one of Heidi's primary guardians in her isolated countryside home. She is strictly loyal to the regime's expectations and carefully monitors what Heidi is allowed to know, actively trying to prevent the young girl from questioning her surroundings or learning about the ongoing war.

Frau Mundt is a caretaker for Heidi who helps shape the young girl's early understanding of the world. She shares stories about Germany's past economic vulnerabilities and reinforces the ideology of the Nazi regime, attempting to justify the harsh realities of the outside world to her sheltered charge.

Frau Leib is a rough but kind cook who bonds quickly with Heidi. Because she talks frequently and sometimes forgets how isolated Heidi is, she unintentionally becomes a source of outside information. She gives the sheltered girl glimpses into the harsh realities of the war and the treatment of Jewish people.

Mark's father is a practical man who struggles to understand his son's sudden, intense questioning about morality and history. He assures Mark of his unconditional love but grows increasingly frustrated when pushed on difficult topics like genocide and whether their farm exists on stolen land.

Mark's mother is preoccupied with the routines of daily life and keeping her family safe. When Mark tries to engage her in deep conversations about history, morality, and doing the right thing, she brushes him off, finding the topics too heavy or inconvenient for everyday conversation.

Mr. McDonald is Mark's teacher. He attempts to answer Mark's difficult philosophical questions about nature versus nurture, but ultimately suggests Mark speak to a priest when the moral inquiries become too complex to answer simply.

Mrs. Latter is the school bus driver. She possesses strong opinions, criticizing others for blind conformity to television broadcasts while simultaneously expressing her own prejudiced views about group superiority, leaving Mark frustrated.

Bonzo is a school friend of Mark's who fails to grasp the emotional weight of Mark's recent thoughts. He views the concept of war superficially, seeing the army as a fun adventure rather than a source of moral conflict.