Adeline is a 28-year-old ethnic German mother who works tirelessly to protect her family. She relies heavily on her devout Lutheran faith for strength, giving thanks to God even in dire circumstances. Adeline carries the trauma of losing her firstborn son and watching her father get taken to a Siberian prison. She dreams of leading her family to a beautiful green valley she once saw in a book.

Emil is a quiet, determined father who resents authority and hates feeling like a pawn. Traumatized by an encounter with Nazi soldiers in 1941, he lost all belief in a benevolent God and insists that a man can only rely on himself. He disagrees with the ideals of the Nazi Party but accepts their protection purely to escape the cruelty of Stalin's regime.

Haussmann is a sadistic Nazi officer who leads the refugee evacuation. He previously confronted Emil in Dubossary in 1941, enjoying the power he held over civilian lives. He is vengeful, unremorseful, and determined to punish Emil for past perceived slights.

Gheorghe is a soldier in the Third Romanian Army who survived the devastating Battle of Stalingrad. He maintains an unshakable belief that God protects him. His deep faith and constant optimism directly contrast with Emil's atheism, challenging Emil's worldview.

Walt is Adeline and Emil's six-year-old son. He shares a name with his parents' deceased firstborn child. Walt is serious and quiet, deeply disturbed by the bombings and violence he witnesses along the refugee trail.

Will is Adeline and Emil's four-year-old son. Unlike his older brother, Will is highly adventurous and frequently displays a sense of humor. He maintains an upbeat spirit during the stressful evacuation and focuses eagerly on the promise of the green valley.

Lydia is Adeline's mother. Her husband Karl was arrested by Soviet secret police when Adeline was a child. She maintains hope for his return, living as one of the many "widows of Stalin." The decision to leave Ukraine forces her to choose between safety and the prospect of reuniting with her husband.

Malia is Adeline's older sister. A mule kick at age fifteen left her with permanent brain damage. She displays a childlike demeanor paired with unexpected wisdom, and she remains deeply devoted to her mother, serving as a source of comfort for Adeline during their travels.

Johann is Emil's father. He spent seven years in a Siberian prison, an experience that broke his spirit and stripped him of his inner fire. He remains quiet and suffers from frequent nightmares, carrying the mental pain of his imprisonment without speaking much about it.

Karoline is Emil's mother. The hardships she endured while her husband was imprisoned left her profoundly bitter and self-serving. She lacks empathy for those around her, frequently directs her anger at her family members, and views the tragedies of others as divine punishment.

Rese is Emil's 21-year-old sister. She is rebellious and free-spirited, often wearing her hair down instead of hiding it under a traditional kerchief. She disregards what others think of her and seeks out small moments of freedom despite the oppressive circumstances surrounding her family.

Nikolas is a fellow Volksdeutsche refugee and member of a Nazi-led militia group. He openly admits to helping soldiers murder Jewish people to secure his own safety in the caravan. He frequently harasses Emil and threatens to expose his secrets to the authorities.

Esther is a Jewish woman who previously knew Adeline in Birsula. She uses forged identity papers to hide from Nazi forces, adopting the name Ilse to survive. She lives with the intense guilt of hiding while others in her community face persecution.

Mrs. Kantor is an elderly Jewish woman who hired Adeline as a cook in 1933. She acted as a mentor to Adeline, encouraging her to marry Emil. Her books first introduced Adeline to the image of the green valley that guides the family's journey.

Marie is Adeline's cousin. Her husband was drafted into the German army, leaving her to raise their infant twin sons alone. She reunites with the family on a refugee train and uses her background working for a surgeon to assist with medical emergencies.

Karl is Adeline's father and an expert farmer. He was arrested by the Soviet secret police on false charges of stealing from the state and sent to a Siberian prison, fracturing his family and leaving his fate unknown.

Claude is a Wehrmacht sergeant who oversees farm work in the Polish town of Wielun. He possesses a forbidden shortwave radio and secretly listens to Allied broadcasts, quietly accepting that Germany is losing the war.

Lieutenant Gerhardt is a member of the Soviet secret police. She continuously monitors the local population for crimes against the state, frequently questioning Adeline about the activities of Soviet officers and threatening her with imprisonment.

Peter is an older farmer in the Soviet-occupied city of Gutengermendorf. He and his wife take Adeline and her sons in as workers. He privately plots to escape to West Germany.

Greta is Peter's wife. She quickly grows fond of Adeline due to her hard work and shares the couple's secret plans to cross the border out of East Germany.