Dorothy is the former poet laureate of Seattle who struggles with mental illness and severe dissociative episodes. She undergoes experimental epigenetic therapy to treat her inherited intergenerational trauma. As a mother, she seeks to break the cycle of suffering for her young daughter to ensure a healthier future.

Afong is the first Chinese woman to immigrate to America, sent away by her deceased betrothed's family. Isolated by a language barrier and her bound feet, she relies on her exploitative managers while holding onto memories of her childhood home in Canton.

Faye is a Chinese American nurse who has sworn off marriage after a teenage pregnancy left her with enduring guilt. She throws herself into her medical work during World War II until an unusual encounter with an American pilot challenges her emotional isolation.

Zoe is a rebellious adolescent surviving the complex social dynamics of a highly unconventional school. She explores her identity through poetry, specifically the works of Sappho, while dealing with the intense emotions of her first romantic crush.

Greta is a software developer who creates Syren, a dating app designed to prioritize women's safety. Despite her professional success, she remains cautious in her personal life until her parents arrange a promising match.

Lai King is an observant young girl growing up during the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act. When a bubonic plague outbreak targets Chinatown with harsh quarantine measures, she faces a sudden, perilous journey across the ocean.

Carter is the angel investor backing Greta's dating app. He uses his financial leverage to cross professional boundaries, manipulating situations to exploit the women he works with.

Guto, also known as Augustus, is a student at Summerhill who embraces the school's experimental shift toward fascism. He uses coercion and blackmail to assert dominance over his classmates.

Nanchoy is a young interpreter raised in a Christian orphanage before coming to America. He uses his bilingual abilities to isolate Afong, controlling her communication with her family to force her into dependence.

Annabel is Dorothy's young daughter, an imaginative child who begins displaying symptoms of inherited epigenetic memories. Her safety and well-being drive Dorothy's desperate search for a medical breakthrough.

Louis is Dorothy's partner and Annabel's father. He is dismissive of Dorothy's mental health struggles and highly skeptical of her experimental epigenetic treatments, prioritizing his own convenience over her well-being.

Dr. Shedhorn is an innovative medical professional who develops therapies to treat inherited trauma. She guides Dorothy through the intense process of recovering and processing ancestral memories.

John is an American pilot with the Flying Tigers. He possesses a mysterious photograph of Faye, sparking a profound connection that alters her understanding of love and fate.

Sam is a martial arts instructor and widower with a diverse ethnic heritage. He provides a clear contrast to the aggressive men in Greta's professional sphere, offering patience and genuine emotional safety.

Mrs. Alyce Bidwell is a teacher at Summerhill who provides her students with challenging literature. She becomes the object of Zoe's intense affection while enduring her own restrictive marriage.

Yao Han is an impoverished scholar and poet from Afong's youth. His memory sustains Afong through her isolation in America, representing a life of mutual care and genuine affection.

Alby is a young boy traveling in second class after losing his mother to polio and being abandoned by his father. He befriends Lai King before contracting a deadly illness.

Louise is a high-powered lawyer and former Miss Spokane who is Louis's mother. She frequently judges Dorothy's parenting and heritage, pushing to enroll Annabel in an Anglo heritage club.

Shi is a Buddhist monk who helps Faye process her grief and guilt. He teaches principles of interconnectedness, helping her find peace with her past decisions.

Xi is a bhikkhuni (Buddhist nun) who tends to a hondo in Seattle. She offers Dorothy physical refuge from the storm and philosophical guidance about karma.

Mr. Hannington is a showman who profits off exoticized, racist depictions of Chinese culture. He controls Afong's living conditions and orchestrates her public life entirely for financial gain.

Mrs. Hannington helps orchestrate the exploitative stage shows featuring Afong. She enforces strict, often cruel rules regarding Afong's diet and accommodations.