Miriam is a twelve-year-old Jewish girl living in occupied Paris after fleeing Germany. She possesses a deep love for gardens, remembering her family's lush tomato plants in Berlin. Thrust into dangerous circumstances during a citywide roundup, she adopts the pseudonym Marie to hide at a Catholic convent school in the countryside. She initially views herself as cowardly but consistently acts to protect those she cares about.

Nora is the two-year-old daughter of Miri's neighbors in Paris. Because of wartime rationing, she is sickly and small for her age. She is cheerful and trusting. She relies completely on Miri, who helps teach her French and takes responsibility for her safety when danger arrives at their building.

Catherine is the ghost of the sixteenth-century French queen, lingering at the Château de Chenonceau. She appears only to those who work as her gardeners. She maintains a haughty, regal demeanor, demanding perfection in her royal flower beds while debating history and responsibility with those who tend her grounds.

Beatrice is a student living at the convent school. She fits the blonde-haired, blue-eyed ideal prized by the occupying forces and presents herself as an intensely devout Catholic. She asks pointed questions and closely observes Miri's behavior, especially her unfamiliar prayers.

Jacqueline is a student at the convent school whose mother is in a sanatorium in Switzerland. She is talkative and friendly on the surface. She casually repeats strong, prejudiced views she absorbed from propaganda exhibits and her family's teachings.

Miri's mother is a Jewish refugee from Germany who struggles to adapt to life in Paris. She speaks mostly Yiddish and relies on her daughter to assist with French interactions. She attempts to maintain a sense of normalcy and tradition, cherishing rare finds like a fresh tomato for Shabbos.

Miri's father is a Jewish refugee living in Paris. He attempts to predict the movements of the occupying forces. Believing that only working-age men will be targeted as they were in the past, he chooses to go into hiding before a major raid.

Madame Rosenbaum is the neighbor of Miri's family in Paris. After her husband's arrest, she struggles to raise her toddler alone. During the traumatic roundup at the apartment building, she makes a desperate, quick-thinking decision to save her daughter.

Monsieur Rosenbaum is Miri's neighbor in Paris and Nora's father. He was violently arrested by occupying forces two years before the main events of the story, leaving his wife to care for their daughter alone.

Sister Félicité is a Catholic nun who acts quickly to protect civilians on the streets of Paris. She orchestrates fake identity cards and arranges covert transportation to move vulnerable children out of the city.

Mother Agnès is the Sister Superior at the convent school. She manages the facility strictly, enforces rules, and handles the placement of children arriving from Paris.

Sister Dominique is a kind nun at the convent who understands the dangerous realities of wartime France. She actively points out the border between occupied territory and the Vichy zone, encouraging the students to use their intelligence.

Sister Annunciata is a compassionate nun at the convent school. The students secretly call her "Sister Anchovy" because she constantly smells of fish. She harbors deep concerns about the safety of the children but is actively involved in dangerous, covert activities.

Monsieur Thireau is a French policeman (gendarme) in Paris. Initially friendly toward the neighborhood residents, his demeanor changes drastically as official policies shift, reflecting the growing danger in the city.

Elodie is a young, quiet girl living at the convent school. She is easily frightened and tends to suck her thumb, particularly when tense situations arise in the dormitory.

Bette is the housekeeper at the Château de Chenonceau. She operates with a strict "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding unusual activities on the castle grounds, providing practical cover without requiring details.

Raven is a passeur, a smuggler operating on the Vichy side of the River Cher. She uses coded passwords about stargazing to identify herself and safely receive people crossing the border.