Ladydi is a young teenager growing up in Guerrero, Mexico, in a community entirely dominated by the threat of drug cartels. She endures a world practically devoid of men, where local girls are trained to hide in holes dug in the earth whenever the loud trucks of traffickers approach. Highly observant of the dangers around her and heavily influenced by the media she consumes on a small satellite television, she eventually takes a nanny job for the wealthy Domingo family in Acapulco to escape her troubled home life.

Rita is Ladydi's fiercely protective, deeply traumatized mother. Following her husband's abandonment, she sinks into alcoholism, stops listening to the love songs she once enjoyed, and isolates herself. She channels her grief into a compulsive habit of stealing small, everyday items to regain a sense of control over her fractured life, while her worsening mental state leads to erratic and sometimes violent actions.

Maria is one of the few girls in Chulavista who does not have to actively hide her appearance from the cartels, as she was born with a facial feature that the local men consider a curse. She uses the social stigma to her advantage, moving through the village with a fearlessness that her friends cannot afford. Her courage allows her to directly confront threats that send others running into hiding.

Paula is the widely acknowledged beauty of Chulavista. Her mother goes to extreme lengths to disguise her features to protect her from the attention of local traffickers. Following a frightening accident where she is drenched in toxic chemicals dropped by military helicopters, her vulnerability to the outside world becomes painfully clear, and her natural appearance draws the precise danger her community fears most.

Mike is Maria's older brother and an active participant in the region's drug trade, marked by a Zetas cartel tattoo on his finger. One of the few men consistently present in the area, he drives an expensive car and uses his connections to secure employment for Ladydi, drawing her into close proximity with his violent and highly illegal operations.

Julio works as the gardener for the wealthy Domingo family. He demonstrates a gentle reverence for nature, carefully maintaining the grounds and showing kindness to the local flora. He offers Ladydi affection and authority, establishing a dynamic where she feels both protected and eagerly submissive in an empty house.

Luna is an imprisoned woman from Guatemala who lost her arm falling from a migrant train bound for the United States. Separated from her family and dealing with the physical and emotional scars of an abusive past, she quickly bonds with Ladydi and provides vital physical warmth and emotional support in the harsh prison environment.

Jose Rosa is a young, urban educator who brings the outside world into the isolated community of Chulavista. His arrival deeply affects the local women, starved for male interaction, and he inadvertently accelerates the loss of innocence for his teenage students.

Aurora is a sickly inmate who earns money by fumigating prison cells to kill bedbugs and fleas. Covered in physical markers of abuse from her time with the cartels, she holds vital information about the women from Guerrero and provides Ladydi with unexpected ties to her home village.

Concha is Paula's mother, living in a constant state of anxiety over her daughter's physical beauty. She goes to extreme, painful lengths to make Paula look undesirable, fighting a losing battle against the cartels' predatory reach in their village.

Estefani is a member of Ladydi's close-knit circle of childhood friends. She participates in the shared rituals of early womanhood in a village where growing up means becoming a target, before eventually moving away to Mexico City.

Ruth runs the only beauty parlor in the area, engaging in the paradoxical work of making pretty girls look ugly to protect them from cartels. Her business serves as a central hub for the village women until she falls victim to the violence she helps others avoid.

Georgia is an English woman incarcerated in the Santa Marta prison for smuggling heroin. She forms an unlikely bond with Ladydi, amused by the young girl sharing a name with the late Princess of Wales.

Mr. Roma is an enigmatic art instructor who brings a brief sense of creativity and dignity to the prisoners. He commands the attention of the women, offering them a rare outlet to process their pasts through art.

Violeta is a tough, hardened inmate with a history of violence who initially acts territorially toward newcomers. Despite her threatening exterior, she slowly integrates into the supportive network of women sharing their stories of betrayed opportunities.

Augusta is the mother of Ladydi's friend Estefani. Her declining health forces her family to leave the village for the city, fragmenting the tight-knit group of girls Ladydi grew up with.

Jacaranda works as a maid at the wealthy property in Acapulco where Ladydi is hired. She helps the young girl settle into her new domestic routine before the grim reality of their employers' situation becomes clear.

Lourdes Rivas is the imprisoned wife of a prominent politician. She stole millions of dollars from a medical charity, resulting in a severe lack of healthcare resources for the public. Her presence illustrates the high-level corruption occurring far above the cartel violence in Guerrero.