Anne is a modern French author living in Paris with her young daughter Clara. Pregnant at the beginning of the narrative, she is driven to uncover the origins of a mysterious postcard bearing the names of her ancestors. Raised without religious traditions, she questions her understanding of Judaism and her family's inherited grief while pursuing her research.

Lélia is an independent, chain-smoking professor of linguistics and a dedicated archivist. Having spent years meticulously piecing together her mother Myriam's early life through documents and letters, she is initially reluctant to investigate the mysterious postcard. She carries the emotional scars of her mother's distance and the heavy legacy of the war.

Myriam is an intelligent and adaptable student who grows up across multiple countries as her family relocates. After marrying a troubled young man, she becomes separated from her immediate relatives during the war. She experiences the dangers of occupied France and eventually becomes involved in underground resistance activities.

Ephraïm is an ambitious Russian inventor who desperately seeks to distance his family from their religious heritage. Convinced that complete assimilation will earn him French citizenship, he ignores his father's repeated warnings about the rising danger in Europe. His optimism and belief in the fairness of society blind him to the realities of his situation.

Emma is a kind piano teacher originally from Poland whose education was cut short by restrictive laws. Though she follows her husband Ephraïm across Europe in search of prosperity, she remains secretly proud of her faith and tries to protect her children. She provides a grounding maternal presence as the family constantly changes locations.

Noémie is the passionate, creative middle child of the Rabinovitch family, aspiring to be a novelist. Living vividly through her writing and diaries, she views the world with a sense of wonder and beauty. Even as she faces the realities of wartime France, she fantasizes about how her experiences will shape her future writing career.

Jacques is a pragmatic, down-to-earth youth who connects deeply with his grandfather Nachman's appreciation for the earth. Unlike his father, Jacques feels drawn to his religious roots and wishes to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah. When arrested as a teenager, he maintains a heartbreakingly naïve belief that the authorities will treat them fairly.

Nachman is Ephraïm's deeply religious father, a former wealthy merchant who foresees the coming tide of extreme violence in Europe. He abandons his luxurious life to become a poor but free orange farmer in Palestine, acting as a prophetic voice of warning to his children. He understands the cyclical nature of persecution and prioritizes safety over material wealth.

Esther is the wife of Nachman and mother to Ephraïm. Once a woman of wealth in Moscow, she accepts a harsh, impoverished life farming oranges in Palestine to ensure her freedom and safety.

Vicente is a handsome, troubled young man from a well-known artistic family in Paris. Rebellious and possessed by inner pain, he marries Myriam partly to shock his unconventional parents. He struggles with addiction and relies heavily on his family's connections, often placing his wife in precarious situations.

Gabriele is Vicente's mother, a well-connected artist and future French resistance fighter. Unconventional and fiercely independent, she orchestrates daring escapes, including smuggling Myriam across the demarcation line under extremely dangerous conditions.

Jeanine is Vicente's older sister, a highly capable and brave resistance fighter. Rejecting traditional marriage for an independent life of risk, she operates an ambulance and establishes complex espionage networks.

Claire is Anne's younger sister, an author and former teacher who spent her youth engaging in risky behavior. Bearing the middle name of her murdered great-aunt Noémie, she grows up feeling heavily burdened by the expectation that she is a reincarnation of her lost relative.

Yves is a young French man who dodges the wartime draft to avoid aiding the German army, ending up hidden in the same rural cabin as Myriam and Vicente. He forms a close, complex bond with the couple. He represents the mental anguish of a generation forced to break with society during the war.

Georges is Anne's boyfriend, a Jewish man whose own family fled Russia. He provides Anne with a bridge to Jewish traditions, inviting her to her first Passover and helping her navigate the complexities of modern antisemitism in France.

Clara is Anne's six-year-old daughter. Her casual revelation that her schoolmates dislike Jewish people serves as the catalyst for Anne's desperate investigation into the family's past.

Colette is a close childhood friend of the Rabinovitch sisters in France. She remains close to Myriam after the war, and her surviving correspondence makes her an early suspect in Anne's search for the postcard's author.

Anna, also known as Aniouta, is Ephraïm's first love who eventually marries and moves to Germany. When she later flees to Paris as a refugee, she tries to warn Ephraïm about the horrors occurring in Germany, but he rejects her warnings.

Debord is a French friend of Ephraïm who strongly advises him against taking work in Germany and even offers to help the Rabinovitch family escape to Spain. His offers of aid are tragic missed opportunities for the family's survival.

Juliette is a nurse who cares for Myriam in her old age. She holds crucial information regarding the postcard's origins.

Emmanuel is Ephraïm's brother, a Parisian actor who Americanized his name. Unlike his rule-following brother, Emmanuel ignores official mandates, a trait that ultimately proves beneficial during the occupation.

Boris is Ephraïm's brother, an active communist living in Czechoslovakia. He helps the family farm in Normandy before returning home just prior to the German invasion.

Maurice is Emma's father. His property and business in Poland are routinely attacked by antisemites, illustrating the widespread danger the family faces outside of Russia.

Madame Chabaud, also known as Widow Chabaud, is a hostel owner in rural France who provides shelter to Myriam, Vicente, and Yves. She invites Myriam to Christmas mass to help maintain her cover in the village.

Jean is a resistance fighter who helps Myriam escape and gives her clandestine missions, such as recording radio broadcasts. He introduces her to the broader resistance network.

Rene Char is a charismatic leader who operates a powerful resistance network near Dijon, drawing in various individuals seeking to evade the German authorities.

Gerard is a friend of Anne who splits his time between Moscow and Paris. Born into the Rosenberg family, he shares stories about how his father changed their name to avoid bias, mirroring Anne's own family history of assimilation.