Lucia is a sixty-two-year-old visiting professor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University. A survivor of cancer, a political exile from Chile, and a divorcée, she maintains a strong zeal for life despite her heavy past hardships. She resides in a basement apartment owned by her colleague, Richard. When an undocumented woman arrives seeking help, Lucia's deep compassion drives her to intervene and take charge of the crisis.

Richard is an academic at New York University who lives alone in a large Brooklyn brownstone with his four cats. Following the tragic loss of his former wife and infant child, he has constructed an emotionally removed, overly cautious life to protect himself from further pain. Raised by a Jewish refugee father, he holds strong intellectual ideals about helping the marginalized, though he rarely puts them into practice until a car accident forces his hand.

Evelyn is a young, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala working as a live-in caretaker for a wealthy family in New York. Having survived extreme gang violence in her home country, she suffers from a severe speech impediment and presents a quiet demeanor to survive in a treacherous household. Despite her vulnerability and limited English, she possesses sharp intelligence and a deep spiritual connection to her indigenous heritage.

Frank Leroy is Evelyn's employer and the patriarch of the family she serves. He is a wealthy, intimidating figure with a violent disposition, deeply involved in an illicit business network. His overbearing presence forces his household staff, including Evelyn, to tiptoe around him and avoid asking questions about his livelihood.

Cheryl Leroy is Evelyn's employer and the mother of Frankie. She relies heavily on prescription pills and alcohol to cope with the stress of her marriage to a dangerous man. During her intoxicated states, she frequently leans on Evelyn for emotional support, venting about her husband's illicit activities and her intense suspicions regarding his loyalty.

Kathryn is a young physical therapist hired to work twice a week with the Leroys' disabled son. Described by Mrs. Leroy as dressing inappropriately, Kathryn becomes the subject of intense household gossip and jealousy. Her sudden and violent death serves as the catalyst that unites Lucia, Richard, and Evelyn on a desperate winter journey.

Frankie is the Leroys' young son, who lives with cerebral palsy. He requires constant attention and physical therapy, living in a tense household dominated by his parents' fraught marriage. He provides Evelyn with a safe, gentle connection that contrasts sharply with the violence she experienced in her past.

Concepcion is Evelyn's grandmother, a resilient woman living in the small town of Monja Blanca del Valle in Guatemala. Left to raise three grandchildren after her daughter migrated to the United States for work, she maintains a strict moral code, famously severing ties with her oldest grandson when he joins a local gang. She is highly resourceful and fiercely protective, doing whatever it takes to secure Evelyn's survival.

Miriam is Evelyn's mother, who emigrated from Guatemala to Chicago to provide financial support for her children back home. Working long hours in cleaning and painting jobs, she manages to build a new life in the United States. She coordinates with her mother to pay for Evelyn's dangerous journey across the border.

Lena is Lucia's mother, a strict and determined woman who raised her children alone after discovering her late husband was a bigamist. During the political upheaval in Chile, she supports the military coup and strictly forbids political discussions in her home. However, the subsequent disappearance of her son completely shatters her, turning her life into a tragic quest for answers.

Enrique is Lucia's brother, a passionate Marxist who supports Salvador Allende in Chile. His leftist political beliefs put him on a government blacklist following the military coup of 1973. He becomes one of the country's many disappeared citizens, leaving behind a profound absence that shapes his mother and sister's lives forever.

Carlos is a Chilean lawyer fifteen years older than Lucia, who collaborated with human rights commissions. He marries Lucia after she becomes pregnant, providing a comfortable life for their family while remaining emotionally distant and unfaithful to her. He is deeply devoted only to his daughter, ultimately showing an inability to care for his wife when she falls seriously ill.

Daniela is the daughter of Lucia and Carlos, currently studying marine biology in Miami. She is a modern, nonbinary young adult who provides a grounding presence in her mother's life. Fiercely protective of Lucia's well-being, she steps up to care for her mother during a health crisis while demanding accountability from her absent father.

Berto Cabrera is a guide, or coyote, who specializes in smuggling migrants from Central America into the United States. Priding himself on being a responsible professional who has never lost a client, he oversees the early stages of Evelyn's perilous journey, instructing her on how to avoid detection by authorities.

Horacio is Richard's old friend and a former academic at New York University who has since returned to Argentina. He has left Richard in charge of his academic position and his remote upstate cabin. Throughout their youth, Horacio acted as a supportive friend, helping Richard secure employment during some of the darkest periods of his life.

Anita is Richard's former wife, a woman from a large Brazilian family whom he pursued fastidiously in his youth. Following the devastating loss of her children, she sinks into an insurmountable depression that profoundly fractures her marriage and leads to a tragic end.

Bibi is the young child of Richard and his former wife, Anita. Her tragic, early death shatters her parents' idyllic life in Brazil, plunging her mother into a deep depression and forever altering Richard's approach to the world.

Joseph is Richard's father, a German Jewish refugee who escaped the Nazi regime through Europe before settling in the United States. His reliance on the charity of strangers during his escape instilled in him a staunch advocacy for undocumented immigrants, a philosophy he passes down to his son.

Cloe is Richard's mother, who met his father, Joseph, in Portugal before they emigrated to New York City together. Richard grows up bearing a strong physical resemblance to her.

Gregorio is Evelyn's older brother who, facing extreme poverty and limited opportunities in Guatemala, joins the dangerous MS-13 gang. His involvement in illegal activities leads to his estrangement from their grandmother and ultimately brings violent retribution down upon the entire family.

Andres is Evelyn's brother, who attempts to arrange safe passage to the United States for his family following violent threats. He falls victim to the local gang's brutal retaliation before he has the chance to escape.

Galileo is Evelyn's stepfather, a working-class man who lives in Chicago with her mother, Miriam. He steps in to claim Evelyn from immigration authorities when Miriam cannot leave her job, offering the terrified young girl her first sense of safety in a new country.

Felicita is a healer in Guatemala who treats Evelyn after she becomes mute from trauma. She administers a medicinal tea that induces a powerful, hallucinogenic dream of a protective jaguar, providing Evelyn with a lasting spiritual anchor for her migration journey.

Maria Ines is a fellow migrant who attempts the dangerous journey to the United States with her infant child. When her baby falls severely ill, the group pauses their travel to ensure the child recovers, though she ultimately decides the journey is too dangerous to continue.

Julian is a man Lucia briefly dates following her divorce and recovery from cancer. Though he cannot commit to a serious relationship, their short-lived affair amicably reminds Lucia of the joys of romance.

Doreen is Galileo's adult daughter from a previous relationship. Struggling with addiction, she frequently visits her father's trailer demanding money and introduces a frightening element of physical danger into Evelyn's newly established American life.