Selin is a first-generation Turkish-American college freshman from a New Jersey suburb. She is a thoughtful, imaginative aspiring writer who struggles to make sense of the disconnect between language and reality. She lives frugally to avoid burdening her single mother and views the world through a slightly absurd, detached lens. This unique perspective makes her feel fundamentally different from her peers.

Svetlana is a wealthy international student from Serbia whose family fled harassment by state police. She has a broad knowledge of Western history and theory, which she uses to quickly categorize the world around her. She regularly sees a therapist to process complicated feelings regarding her father and her sexuality.

Ivan is a senior international student from Hungary majoring in mathematics. He plans to pursue graduate studies in California and exhibits an aloof, philosophical demeanor. He expresses a strong distrust of spoken language, preferring to communicate through lengthy, irregular emails.

Hannah is a Korean-American freshman who shares a bedroom with Selin. She is boisterous and eager to make friends, often filling the dorm with noise. This behavior compensates for a quiet upbringing caused by her brother's illness. She enthusiastically encourages Selin's creative pursuits.

Angela is an African American freshman sharing a suite with Selin and Hannah. She is deeply religious and maintains a quiet, reserved presence in the dorm. Her calm demeanor contrasts sharply with Hannah's loud energy.

Ralph is a clean-cut, broad-shouldered young man who met Selin at a summer program for high school juniors. He is highly interested in government and possesses an obsession with the Kennedy family.

Selin's mother is a fashionable medical researcher working at a university in New Jersey. She is a secular intellectual who values education and enjoys analyzing the true meaning behind literature alongside her daughter. She is divorced and currently dating an American man.

Selin's father is a Turkish immigrant living in Florida with his second wife and young son. He provides a secondary, distant family environment for Selin during school holidays.

Steve is an American man currently in a relationship with Selin's mother in New Jersey.

Originally named Barbara, she is an East German woman who Russified her name and expects her students to adopt similar personas. She assigns Selin the Russian name "Sonya" and directs the students to act out scenes from a textbook.

Lakshmi is a beautiful, sophisticated editor for the university literary magazine. She speaks with a British accent and attempts to bond with Selin over their mutual experiences with unrequited feelings for older students.

Peter is a Harvard senior of Hungarian descent who grew up in the United States. He founded an ESL program based in Hungary that recruits Harvard students as volunteer teachers.

Robin is an American student and close friend of Svetlana. She travels to Paris with her boyfriend, creating a dynamic that prompts Svetlana to invite Selin along as a buffer.

Bill is Robin's boyfriend who accompanies the group on their summer trip to Paris. Svetlana harbors unresolved feelings or physical attraction toward him.

Bojana is Svetlana's aunt living in the center of Paris. She attempts to make Svetlana more attractive by buying her expensive clothes and haircuts, though her efforts often involve critical comments about her niece's weight.

Margit is an energetic, friendly English school teacher living in Hungary. She is married to a man who tries to teach Selin Hungarian using his rifle collection.

Rozsa is a serious young woman training to become an English teacher. She prefers to do things perfectly according to the rules and expects deep conversations from her American guest.

Juli is a young woman living in the Hungarian village whose father manages the local disco club.

Ivan's mother lives in Budapest and maintains a good relationship with her son. She helps transport Selin and Ivan between the summer camp and the city.

He is a wealthy Serbian man who relocated his family to the United States after facing harassment from state police.

She is a Serbian artist who moved to the United States with her family. She suffers from long-term emotional and mental health issues.

She is a student who is currently dating Ivan in an on-again, off-again capacity. She plans to attend a concert with him later in the evening.

They are young Hungarian women living in Budapest with their parents. They maintain a warm and positive family dynamic with their brother.

He is a Hungarian man living in Budapest who views his son's behavior critically.