Sylvie is a 32-year-old management consultant who projects an image of perfection and intellectual brilliance. Beneath this polished exterior, she feels intense pressure to succeed and deeply misses the Netherlands, where she spent her early childhood. She struggles with her identity, feeling disconnected from her family in New York while remaining acutely aware of the racial prejudice she faces in both America and Europe.

At 26 years old, Amy lives with her parents in Queens and intends to pursue a teaching license. She views herself as the less successful sister, frequently hiding behind thick purple glasses and feeling overshadowed by Sylvie's achievements. Despite her self-doubt, she is deeply observant, musically gifted, and resourceful enough to travel to Europe alone to investigate her sister's sudden disappearance.

Ma is a hardworking Chinese immigrant who endures long, underpaid hours at a New York City laundromat. She carries the heavy emotional burden of her early days in America, a time of such extreme poverty that she felt forced to send her infant daughter away. She holds tightly to old memories and worries constantly about her daughters' futures.

Helena is Ma's distant cousin who runs a large Asian restaurant in a small Dutch village. She took Sylvie in as an infant but treated the girl with consistent coldness and hostility throughout her childhood. She holds deep grudges, covets Grandma's hidden heirloom jewelry, and frequently offers harsh judgments regarding Sylvie's character.

Lukas is a globetrotting photojournalist who rents a small garage apartment from his parents in the Netherlands. He grew up as Sylvie's closest friend and confidant, sharing the isolating experience of being an Asian child in a predominantly white village. He maintains a fierce, protective attachment to his cousin, reacting defensively when her whereabouts are questioned.

Pa works grueling hours at a seafood market, a job that leaves a permanent scent of fish on his hands. He frequently clashes with Sylvie, partly due to her seafood allergy, and openly favors Amy. He copes with the hardships of immigrant life and marital strain through drinking and emotional distance.

Ma's mother resides in the Netherlands with distant relatives, having immigrated to help raise a child years ago. She serves as Sylvie's strongest connection to Chinese culture and remains the most loving maternal figure in her eldest granddaughter's life. She secretly holds onto a valuable collection of ancestral jade and gold jewelry, wishing to pass it down to her direct descendants.

Willem is Helena's husband and co-owner of their Dutch village restaurant. During Sylvie's childhood, he showed her an intense, quiet affection that often caused friction in his marriage. He remains a reserved presence in the household, quietly making origami dragons and avoiding his wife's sharp temper.

Estelle is a professional pilot who grew up alongside Lukas, Sylvie, and Filip. Operating in a male-dominated aviation industry makes her highly attuned to the prejudice and discrimination her friends face. She projects a flirtatious energy, frequently blurring the lines of her platonic friendships and causing confusion about her romantic attachments.

Filip is an accomplished professional cellist living in Amsterdam. He reenters Sylvie's life to offer her music lessons, encouraging her to play for fun rather than perfection. He is charming, handsome, and known among his friends as a notorious womanizer, though he holds his true feelings close to his chest.

Jim is a school guidance counselor who grew up with immense generational wealth. He initially charmed Sylvie with his seemingly empathetic nature and thrift-store aesthetic, hiding his affluent background from her. His pleasant exterior conceals a selfish disposition and a volatile temper when his reputation is threatened.