Anton is a twelve-year-old boy living with his parents and older brother in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Raised in an intellectual household, he is sensitive and observant. He attempts to manage early trauma by suppressing his memories and retreating into an orderly, apolitical persona. He prefers to keep his head down and avoid drawing attention to himself.

Mr. Steenwijk is Anton's father and a clerk at the law courts in Haarlem. He is a careful, scholarly, and quiet man who teaches his sons with patience during their confinement indoors. When confronted with abrupt violence on his street, he reacts with resignation rather than action.

Mrs. Steenwijk is Anton's mother, a nurturing woman with blonde hair coiled over her ears. She works diligently to manage her family's meager resources during a winter of starvation and scarcity. She takes an active, vocal role when her family is threatened, challenging decisions she deems unsafe.

Peter is Anton's seventeen-year-old brother. He is a restless and sarcastic teenager who remains trapped indoors to avoid forced labor in Germany. When a crisis occurs outside their home, he is impulsive and springs into action despite his parents' warnings.

Fake Ploeg Sr. is the Chief Inspector of Police in Haarlem and a feared collaborator with the Nazi occupation. His brutal reputation instills dread across the city. His sudden assassination sets off a chain of events that alters the lives of all the families living on the quay.

Cor Takes is a member of the Underground Resistance operating in the Netherlands. He adopts a ruthlessly cynical worldview, believing that oppressive forces must be answered with equally brutal measures. He is willing to take extreme actions to accomplish his political and moral objectives.

Truus is a dedicated operative in the Underground Resistance alongside Cor Takes. She possesses a firm philosophical belief that Resistance fighters must maintain their humanity and avoid adopting the cruel methods of their enemies.

Fake is the son of the Chief Inspector and a classmate of Anton. Because of his father's prominent role in the Nazi occupation, Fake suffers isolation, hostility, and ostracism from his teachers and peers. He maintains a fierce, protective loyalty toward his father despite public sentiment.

Mr. Korteweg is a former second mate in the merchant marine who lives across the street from the Steenwijks. Widowed and currently out of work due to the war, he spends his time tending to terrariums filled with lizards. He acts quickly and selfishly to protect his own property during a crisis.

Karin is Mr. Korteweg's daughter, who moves back in with him after the death of her mother. Unlike her father, she is friendly and treats young Anton warmly when he occasionally visits their house.

Mr. Beumer is an ill, retired lawyer who lives on the same quay as Anton. He and his wife observe the tragic events on their street from the safety of their home.

Mrs. Beumer is an elderly neighbor of the Steenwijks. She frequently comments on the neighborhood's activities and later proves eager to discuss the past with those who lived through it.

Peter Van Liempt is Anton's uncle and a doctor living in Amsterdam. He provides a formal, highly ordered, and well-to-do middle-class environment for Anton. He holds firm political opinions and expects a rational approach to civic duty.

Saskia is a stewardess with thick red hair who meets Anton during a trip to London. She comes from a family with deep ties to the wartime Resistance and often tries to shield her family from the darker realities of the past.

Godfried is Saskia's father and a former general who served as an ambassador. Having coordinated Resistance groups during the war, he carries himself with immense self-satisfaction and humor, often sparring playfully but aggressively with his former comrades.

Sandra is Anton and Saskia's daughter. She represents a generation completely removed from the war, though she occasionally witnesses its lingering effects on her father.

Bastiaan is Sandra's boyfriend. He wears blue jeans and a kaffiyeh around his neck, displaying open engagement with modern political movements.

Schulz is an elderly German sergeant wearing a sloppy uniform and oversized boots. He acts with surprising kindness toward Anton during the chaos of the military occupation, ensuring the boy is fed and warmly dressed for a transport journey.

Van Lennep is Anton's medical school classmate who later becomes a dentist. He holds vocal and evolving political opinions, initially urging military action in Korea before later participating in anti-nuclear demonstrations.

Liesbeth is an art-history student who works part-time at a modern hospital. She helps manage her husband's recurring anxieties and panic attacks, striving to provide a peaceful domestic life.

Peter is Anton and Liesbeth's son. He shares a name with Anton's deceased older brother and enjoys a life completely free from the hardships of the past.

Mr. Bos is the math teacher at Anton's school. He holds strong anti-Nazi principles and initially refuses to allow Fake Ploeg Jr. into his classroom when the boy arrives in a Nazi youth uniform.

Jaap is a blonde man and former Resistance member who goes by a pseudonym. He holds strong left-wing political views and frequently argues with his former comrades about international politics and historical legacy.

Henk is a mustachioed former Resistance fighter. He acts as a mediating but sarcastic presence during the intense political arguments between his old wartime friends.