Hương is a young girl growing up in Hanoi during the Vietnam War. Raised primarily by her grandmother, she relies on literature like *The Southern Land and Forests* and family stories to understand the world around her. She raises chickens in her yard and dreams of becoming a writer, all while longing for the safe return of her parents.

Diệu Lan is Hương's grandmother, originally born into a wealthy landowning family in Nghệ An province. She survives decades of political upheaval, taking on roles ranging from farmer to beggar to black-market trader to keep her family alive. She acts as the moral and practical center of the Trần family, passing down lessons of survival and forgiveness to her granddaughter.

Ngọc is Diệu Lan’s second oldest child and Hương's mother. A strong-willed medical doctor, she volunteers to serve in the war to find her husband. When she returns to Hanoi, she suffers from severe depression and trauma, requiring intense support from her relatives to recover and resume her medical career.

Tâm is a teenage boy who moves from a rural province to Hanoi to further his education. He attends Hương’s school and quickly wins her over by fixing her bicycle and showing a sincere, playful personality. He shares Hương's love for literature and becomes a steady, comforting presence in her life.

Đạt is Diệu Lan’s third oldest child. After losing his legs to a landmine during the Vietnam War, he returns home with severe injuries and an alcohol use disorder. With the help of his sister's medical knowledge and his girlfriend's persistent care, he slowly rebuilds his self-esteem and learns to make sandals for a living.

Wicked Ghost is a brutal tax collector for the colonial French government and a wealthy landowner in Nghệ An. During the Great Famine, he savagely beats Diệu Lan and kills her mother when he catches them harvesting his corn. He later develops a severe alcohol dependency.

Hoàng is Hương's father and Ngọc's husband. He enlists in the Northern army at his wife's urging and leaves for the frontlines. Before disappearing into the war, he carves a wooden bird called a Sơn ca for his daughter, which serves as a constant reminder of his love.

Hùng is Diệu Lan’s husband. He earns Diệu Lan’s respect during their courtship by debating her as an intellectual equal. As a father and farmer, he speaks out at local political meetings, a dangerous habit that draws the attention of party officials.

Minh is the eldest of Diệu Lan’s six children. He is separated from his family during a violent land reform purge when a mob descends on their property. He survives by fleeing to the south, where he builds a new life, finishes high school, and eventually studies criminal law.

Thuận is Diệu Lan’s fourth oldest child. During his family’s desperate escape to Hanoi, he falls ill and is left in the care of a Buddhist nun at an orphanage. He later grows up to serve as a soldier in the Vietnam War.

Hạnh is Diệu Lan's fifth child. During the family's flight from the countryside, she suffers from food poisoning and is left with a kindergarten teacher. She eventually marries into a successful family, censors history textbooks for a living, and relocates to southern Vietnam.

Sáng is the youngest of Diệu Lan’s children, remaining with his mother throughout their journey to Hanoi. As an adult, he becomes a devoted member of the Communist Party and cuts off contact with his mother out of embarrassment over her illegal trading work.

Mr. Trần is Diệu Lan’s father. A prosperous farmer in Nghệ An, he rejects local traditions by supporting his daughter’s independence, even teaching her to drive the buffalo cart to show that women can lead.

Mrs. Trần is Diệu Lan’s mother. When a local fortune teller predicts a life of misery for her daughter, she fights vigorously to alter this destiny. She takes immense risks to secure food for her family during the Great Famine of 1945.

Công is Diệu Lan’s older brother. He takes on a leadership role in the family after their parents pass away. He actively seeks justice against those who harm his relatives but often finds himself powerless against corrupt local officials.

Tú is the Trần family’s loyal housekeeper. Disfigured in a childhood fire, she is taken in by Diệu Lan’s mother and becomes an integral part of the household. She tries to warn the family about the impending land reform purges.

Hải is a laborer who works for Wicked Ghost. When he discovers his employer attacking Diệu Lan, he intervenes, saves her life, and provides her family with enough stolen corn to survive the famine. He later becomes a trusted employee of the Trần family.

Túc is an elderly fortune teller in Vīnh Phúc. He visits the Trần family farm and predicts that young Diệu Lan will lose everything and become a wandering beggar, a prophecy that deeply upsets her mother.

Nhung is Đạt’s girlfriend. When Đạt returns from the war severely injured and depressed, she refuses to let him isolate himself. She regularly visits the family home, bringing cassettes and books to draw him out of his despair.

Tuấn is Hạnh’s husband. He is put in charge of a factory in the south following the war, allowing his family to live comfortably in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hoa is Sáng’s wife and the daughter of high-ranking officials. She kicks her husband out of their home after giving birth to a stillborn baby, an event caused by Sáng's wartime exposure to Agent Orange.

Duyên is Hoàng’s sister. When Ngọc returns from the war in a catatonic state, Duyên takes her into her home across town, providing the initial care Ngọc needs to begin her recovery.

Master Thịnh is a live-in tutor for the Trần family. He teaches Công and Diệu Lan French and introduces them to literature that challenges traditional standards of beauty and courtship.

Hiền is a Buddhist nun who manages an orphanage. She agrees to take in young Thuận when Diệu Lan seeks medical help for him during the family's desperate journey to Hanoi.

Thảo is a kindergarten teacher. Unable to have children of her own, she and her husband gladly take in Hạnh when Diệu Lan leaves the sick girl in their care. She raises Hạnh with deep affection.

Toàn is Master Thịnh’s nephew. He runs a jewelry shop in Hanoi with his wife and is moved by Diệu Lan’s past connection to his uncle, offering her a position as their housekeeper.

Châu is Toàn's wife. She views Diệu Lan with intense suspicion and jealousy from the moment they meet, eventually firing her despite Diệu Lan saving the shop from a robber.

Văn is a healer in Hanoi. After Diệu Lan is attacked by robbers, he treats her neck wound and teaches her a unique martial arts technique called Kick-Poke-Chop so she can defend herself.

Thủy is a school friend of Hương’s. The two girls explore Hanoi together until Thủy’s parents forbid her from playing with Hương because of Diệu Lan’s illegal trading work.