Charlotte is a 60-year-old museum curator harboring a traumatic past from an archaeological expedition in 1930s Egypt. She maintains a quiet, structured life in New York with her partner Mark, keeping her early marriage and subsequent losses a closely guarded secret. Her professional passion lies in researching the ancient female pharaoh Hathorkare, whose historical reputation she hopes to restore by proving she was a respected ruler rather than a reviled one.

Annie is a 19-year-old New Yorker supporting herself and her mother through various working-class jobs. Lacking formal education but possessing keen observation skills, she accidentally finds herself involved in the glamorous world of the Met Gala after delivering a package. She is resourceful and brave, often taking initiative despite her lack of confidence and her complicated home life.

Henry is a kind and comparatively humble British archaeologist who meets Charlotte during an excavation in the 1930s. He struggles with the financial pressures of providing for a family, pushing him to make questionable professional choices. His sudden decision to flee Egypt with his family precipitates the central tragedy of Charlotte's early life.

Fatima is a young woman working at a hotel in Cairo. She grew up immersed in Egyptian culture and holds deep, complicated ties to the historical mysteries Charlotte and Annie are investigating. Her presence at the hotel intersects with the search for truth regarding the 1930s shipwreck and the missing artifacts.

Mona is an intelligent, passionate young woman who volunteers at the Met. She holds strong beliefs about Egyptian nationalism and the repatriation of cultural artifacts, feeling deeply that antiquities belong in their country of origin. Her position at the museum gives her access to the gala preparations and the ancient Egyptian collection.

Mark is Charlotte's long-term partner in 1978 New York. He cares deeply for her and wishes to formalize their relationship through marriage. However, he often finds himself frustrated and confused by her emotional distance and her refusal to share details about her early life.

Joyce is Annie's mother, a woman who clings to faded dreams of becoming a model or marrying a wealthy man. She relies heavily on her daughter for financial and emotional support, often acting selfishly and undermining Annie's self-esteem while pursuing her own romantic interests.

Leon is an archaeologist who participates in the same 1930s excavation team as Charlotte and Henry. He survives the subsequent shipwreck and later establishes himself as a tour guide in Egypt. He maintains connections to radical groups advocating for the return of Egyptian antiquities.

Diana is a high-profile fashion editor consulting for the Costume Institute at the Met. She oversees the glamorous Met Gala, merging the worlds of high fashion and historical art. She acts as a demanding visionary who quickly recognizes Annie's initiative, offering her a role as an assistant.

Frederick is Charlotte's boss in the Egyptian art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He represents the traditional, male-dominated hierarchy of the museum world, often dismissing Charlotte's groundbreaking theories and discouraging her from pursuing fieldwork.

Heba is an Egyptian woman who runs an antique gallery in Cairo. She is deeply embedded in the local antiquities trade and manages the shop where Charlotte and Annie search for clues regarding the stolen Cerulean Queen statue.

Helen is Charlotte's best friend and colleague at the Met. She provides a listening ear for Charlotte's frustrations and is one of the few people who understands Charlotte's deep-seated superstitions regarding the alleged curse of Hathorkare's tomb.

Tenny is a private detective specializing in stolen art. Charlotte hires him to uncover the identity of the anonymous donor who provided the Hathorkare collar to the Met, hoping his investigation will yield clues about her past.

Hathorkare is an ancient female pharaoh whose historical legacy was systematically erased by her successors. Though long dead, she functions as a powerful symbolic presence in the novel, representing female ambition and resilience. Her tomb and artifacts drive the central plot.

Saukemet II is the ancient Egyptian king who seized the throne after Hathorkare's reign. According to Charlotte's research, he orchestrated a campaign to destroy images of his stepmother to prevent future female rivals from claiming power.