A 38-year-old unnamed ghostwriter living with her mother. She pens autobiographies for people made famous by tragedies or scandals. Having survived a horrific pirate attack as a refugee fleeing Vietnam aboard a boat, she lives a cloistered, nocturnal life and avoids daylight. She struggles to process the trauma of her past and maintain a functional relationship with her mother.

An 18-year-old Vietnamese refugee sponsored to live in America. Coming from a rural background near Long Xuyen, he is eager to establish himself as a good person and work hard, securing a job at a liquor store. He experiences culture shock and manages conflicting cultural expectations while living with his sponsors, eventually confronting his repressed sexuality.

A teenage boy of the "1.5 generation" who was born in Vietnam but raised in America. He eagerly assimilates into American culture, enjoying school and consumer goods, which sometimes places him at odds with his parents' frugal, traditional ways.

A pragmatic, hardworking woman who operates a small grocery store with her husband in San Jose. Traumatized by losing everything during the fall of South Vietnam, she frugally stashes cash around her house and initially resists contributing to anti-communist fundraisers, preferring to protect her immediate family.

A persistent, sharply dressed woman who zealously collects donations for anti-communist forces in Vietnam. Despite her flashy exterior, she lives in impoverished conditions and channels her enduring grief over the war into a relentless fundraising crusade, pressuring local businesses to contribute.

An accountant recovering from a life-saving liver transplant. His severe gambling addiction previously cost him his home and temporarily alienated his wife. Eager to turn over a new leaf and repay his cosmic debt to his organ donor, he attempts to track down surviving family members, leading him to cross paths with Louis.

A shrewd, resourceful man who deals in counterfeit luxury goods. He bonds with Arthur over Vietnamese food and leverages their unlikely friendship to store his illicit merchandise in Arthur's garage.

A devoted wife and part-time librarian who fled Vietnam as a refugee alongside her family. She values decorum and struggles to manage the emotional toll of her husband's declining memory, particularly when he begins calling her by another woman's name, sparking unexpected jealousy.

A former professor who retrained to teach Vietnamese in America. He is experiencing the early, disorienting stages of Alzheimer's or dementia, leading to erratic behavior, memory loss, and out-of-character romantic gestures that confuse his wife.

A 68-year-old Black Air Force veteran who flew B-52 bombers during the Vietnam War. Stubborn, proud, and struggling with the physical and mental effects of aging, he is deeply uncomfortable returning to a country he once bombed and clashes frequently with his daughter's worldview.

James and Michiko's adult daughter. A biracial woman who never felt entirely at home in America, she finds purpose teaching English in a poor region of Vietnam, partially motivated by a desire to make amends for the destruction caused by her father's wartime service.

A 33-year-old customer service representative and night watchman. Following his mother's death and his divorce, he struggles with indecision and a fear of repeating his father's overbearing mistakes, leaving him adrift, lonely, and prone to insomnia.

Thomas's muscular, uncompromising father. A former South Vietnamese paratrooper, he raised his children with military strictness. He takes it upon himself to fix his son's life, relying on aggressive, direct action to enforce his personal code of right and wrong.

A young Vietnamese woman working as a hostess in a high-end restaurant catering to tourists. Despite holding a biology degree, she feels stuck in Vietnam and harbors deep jealousy toward her older, Americanized namesake, longing for a similar life of perceived glamour.

Phuong's older half-sister who grew up in America. She goes by Vivien and presents herself as a successful, cosmopolitan woman, treating her Vietnamese family to lavish outings, though she visibly struggles to adapt to the local climate.

An elderly Vietnamese woman who lives with her daughter. She copes with her past by sharing morbid anecdotes and ghost stories, maintaining a strong connection to her cultural heritage and traditional beliefs regarding death and spirits. She frequently laments how different their lives would be if they had never left Vietnam.

The ghost of the protagonist's older brother, who died at age 15 defending his sister from pirates during their escape from Vietnam. He appears to his sister exactly as he did on the day he died, smelling of the ocean and wearing clothes that are now too large for his adolescent frame.

A man who survived a plane crash that killed his entire family. He is wracked with survivor's guilt and hires the protagonist to ghostwrite his memoir. He openly believes in ghosts, claiming to see and hear his deceased family members regularly.

A British environmental activist and Liem's refugee sponsor in San Francisco. He is generous, refusing to let Liem pay rent, and lives openly with his partner, introducing Liem to a lifestyle entirely different from the one he knew in Vietnam.

Parrish's cosmopolitan partner, originally from Hong Kong, who attends San Francisco State University. Disowned by his father, he relies on Parrish financially but maintains an air of confidence and worldly experience that intimidates and intrigues Liem.

Co-owner of the New Saigon grocery store. He generally prefers to avoid conflict, focusing on the safety and stability of his family business, though he is capable of decisive action when his home is physically threatened.

Arthur's frustrated wife, who temporarily left him due to his gambling but returned when he fell ill. She remains highly critical of his lack of responsibility and childish behavior, demanding more stability in their marriage.

Arthur's more successful brother who inherited their father's landscaping business. He employs Arthur as an accountant, maintaining a dynamic where Arthur feels secretly jealous of his stability and affluence.

An elderly Vietnamese man killed in a hit-and-run accident whose donated organ gives Arthur a second chance at life, creating a lingering sense of obligation in the protagonist.

Mrs. Khanh's son, a nurse and bodybuilding enthusiast who prefers to go by Kevin. Formerly a rebellious teenager, he now acts as the primary family emissary, attempting to persuade his mother to retire and hire professional help for his father.

James's wife and Claire's mother. She serves as a mitigating force during the family trip, correcting her husband's stubbornness and helping manage the simmering tensions between him and their daughter.

Claire's boyfriend, a robotics engineer working on technology to safely clear unexploded ordinances in Vietnam. His work, background, and demeanor provoke cynicism and irritation from James Carver.

Thomas's ex-wife, a popular high school math teacher. She left Thomas due to his indecision regarding starting a family and is charting her own path forward independently.

A middle-aged Vietnamese woman who is Mr. P's current girlfriend, having previously been his mistress. She is observant and challenges Thomas regarding his passive nature.

Phuong and Vivien's father, a popular tour guide for American backpackers. He deliberately named his second set of children after his first set who fled to America, hoping to draw his estranged elder children back for a visit.

Phuong's mother and Mr. Ly's second wife. Originally Mr. Ly's mistress, she married him after his postwar reeducation and holds a critical, skeptical view of Vivien's extravagant American habits.