Isabel is a 28-year-old woman living in her family's large home in the eastern Dutch city of Zwolle in 1961. She spends her days meticulously caring for the property and keeping a strict, written inventory of her late mother's favorite objects. Lacking formal career prospects, she is entirely dependent on her ability to stay in the house indefinitely. Her isolated, highly structured life faces immediate disruption when she is forced to host an unexpected visitor for a month.

Eva is introduced as Louis's latest girlfriend, characterized initially by her bleached-blonde hair and effusive conversational style. She moves into the family home in Zwolle for a month while Louis travels for business. Her presence immediately shatters the household's quiet routine, as she touches forbidden objects and asks probing questions. She harbors deeply guarded secrets about her background and observes the home's contents with intense focus.

Louis is the eldest sibling of the family, living in The Hague and maintaining a reputation as an uncommitted womanizer. He is legally set to inherit the family home in Zwolle once he decides to settle down. He frequently dates different women, causing exhaustion among his siblings. He uses his authority over the estate to dictate terms to his sister without consulting her first.

Hendrik is the youngest sibling, a gay man who left the family home as a young adult following a painful falling out over his sexuality. He currently lives an independent life in the city with his partner and plans to move to France. He maintains a fragile, somewhat strained bond with his sister, frequently mocking her rigid lifestyle while still participating in obligatory family events.

Sebastian is Hendrik's partner, a man of Algerian and French descent who grew up in Paris. He lives as openly as possible with Hendrik in the prejudiced society of the 1960s. He possesses a uniformly gentle and compassionate presence. He often tries to bridge the gap between his partner and his partner's difficult family members.

Neelke is a young maid hired to help maintain the large family home on weekdays. She is timid and frequently subjected to harsh suspicions regarding missing household items. Her demeanor shifts completely when she is treated with kindness, revealing a much more relaxed, youthful personality.

Uncle Karel is the brother of the siblings' late mother and the closest thing they have to a parental figure. He secured the large house in Zwolle for the family to escape the famine in Amsterdam during World War II. He is authoritative and holds the ultimate say over how the family inheritance is distributed.

Johan is a local man who assertively pursues a courtship with Isabel. He misinterprets her obvious physical discomfort and nausea as typical romantic nervousness. He frequently inserts himself into her space and ignores her clear boundaries, feeling entitled to her time and affection.