Kien is a forty-year-old veteran of the North Vietnamese army and one of the few survivors of the 27th Battalion. Haunted by his memories of combat, he initially works on a team recovering bodies before settling in Hanoi. To cope with his distress, he attempts to write a novel. He records a non-linear stream of memories about his childhood, his fellow soldiers, and the postwar reality of his country.

A young woman from Hanoi who grows up alongside Kien. She possesses a bold, unafraid spirit and a passion for singing and music. Her relationship with Kien defies the Communist Party's strict rules forbidding romance among the youth. As the war approaches, the violence threatens their innocent bond and drastically alters their lives.

An older, disillusioned painter living in Hanoi. Once a man who looked forward to spring, he receives harsh criticism from the Communist Party for creating art that does not align with working-class values. He retreats into his attic apartment to paint and drink, projecting a deep sorrow.

A silent young woman who resides in the same Hanoi apartment building as Kien. She acts as a quiet observer of Kien's drunken storytelling and late-night writing sessions. Though Kien remains largely oblivious to her personal feelings, she carefully collects and preserves the discarded pages of his manuscript.

A North Vietnamese soldier struggling to cope with the daily horrors of the conflict. Overwhelmed by the feeling that his life is being leeched away, he desperately longs to return home to his mother. He plans an escape from the relentless combat.

A brave local guide assisting the North Vietnamese troops through dangerous terrain. When she accidentally leads Kien and others off course, she takes immense personal risks to correct her mistake. Her actions demonstrate the heavy sacrifices demanded of ordinary citizens during the conflict.

A fellow soldier and friend of Kien who participates in the chaotic final days of the conflict. His presence in Kien's memories highlights the unpredictable and sudden violence of the battlefield.

A clumsy, traumatized military veteran and former driver. Like many other survivors frequenting the local cafes, he relies on alcohol to numb his agonizing memories of the bodies he encountered during the war.

A tram driver and former neighbor of Kien. He continues to work in the postwar city. He represents the civilians and working-class people trying to maintain a normal routine despite bearing heavy personal losses from the conflict.

A young man remembered for his presence on the battlefield and his pre-war feelings for Kien's childhood sweetheart. His memory serves as a bridge between Kien's peaceful youth and his violent military service.

A woman Kien encounters during one of his happiest moments as a soldier right after the war ends. She shares a brief, intimate connection with him on the journey back to Hanoi before advising him to let his stories of the war turn to ash.

A former soldier who suffered severe injuries during the war. Paralyzed and confined to his bed, he represents the lingering physical devastation inflicted on the young men who survived combat only to face a slow decline at home.

The author of the narrative who steps into the text as a distinct character. He explains that he found and arranged Kien's jumbled, non-linear manuscript. As a fellow veteran, he shares an unspoken understanding of the war's psychological toll and hopes that documenting these memories will bring peace.

A soldier tormented by a specific, horrific memory from the war. While hiding in a bomb crater, he wounded an enemy before desperately trying to save him, only to be thwarted by the chaos of the battlefield and the relentless rain.

The daughter of a woman Kien stayed with during his initial military training in Doi Mo before the war began. When Kien revisits the hamlet years later, she offers him companionship and a potential escape from his urban isolation.

A girl slightly older than Kien who lived in Hanoi. She once wanted to tell him something important before he shipped off to war, but Kien was too afraid to listen to her. She is gone by the time he visits Hanoi briefly before the war.

A North Vietnamese soldier who served alongside Kien. He loses his life on the battlefield, leaving behind a younger sister in Hanoi who later struggles to survive in the postwar city.

The younger sister of Vinh, a soldier who died in combat. Forced into prostitution in postwar Hanoi, she crosses paths with Kien when he intervenes to protect her during a night of heavy drinking.

A scout serving in the North Vietnamese forces alongside Kien. He is one of several men forced to make extreme sacrifices while evading American patrols in the dense jungle terrain.

A scout in Kien's military unit who operates in the hazardous jungle environments. His memory contributes to the overwhelming sense of survivor's guilt that Kien carries into his postwar life.

A military scout who serves with Kien in the dense jungles of Vietnam. Like many others in the unit, he is asked to sacrifice everything for the war effort, leaving a lasting impression on Kien's postwar reflections.