Annie is the youngest of the three de Leeuw sisters. She has a carefree and naive outlook on the world, initially viewing the German occupation as a distant problem. As the restrictions on Jewish citizens tighten, her parents pull her from public school, fundamentally changing her daily life and forcing her into hiding.

At sixteen, Sini is Annie's older sister and her companion in hiding. She acutely understands the gravity of the war and chafes against the restrictions placed on her youth. She takes on a maternal role toward Annie once they leave their parents, enforcing discipline to maintain their health during isolation.

Johan is a Dutch farmer who takes Annie and Sini into his home. He displays immense courage by hiding the girls, outright refusing to consider sending them back when the danger escalates. He uses his carpentry skills to construct a secure hiding space within an upstairs closet.

Dientje is Johan's wife, a farm woman who faces the terrifying reality of hiding Jewish children under penalty of death. Her constant vocal anxiety about German searches clashes with her genuine desire to make the girls comfortable. She actively seeks out books and resources to keep them entertained upstairs.

Opoe is Johan's seventy-one-year-old mother. She provides a comforting, grandmotherly presence for the hidden girls, often sitting upstairs to darn socks so they do not feel lonely. Her blunt humor and casual demeanor offer crucial moments of relief in a tense household.

Rachel is twenty-one at the outset of the war. When the family must split up to survive, she steadfastly refuses to go into hiding with her sisters, choosing instead to remain by their ailing mother's side. She organizes a nursery school for local Jewish children before the restrictions become too severe.

Mr. de Leeuw is a cattle merchant in Winterswijk who recognizes the German threat earlier than many of his peers. He works frantically to secure false papers, travel routes, and hiding spots for his family once his initial plan to emigrate falls through.

Sophie is the matriarch of the de Leeuw family. Her belief that Holland is safe from the war leads her to reject her husband's pleas to emigrate to the United States. She eventually becomes severely ill and requires hospitalization just as the family must go into hiding.

Mr. Hannink is a Dutch citizen involved in hiding Jewish refugees. He constructs an underground cave on his property as a fallback shelter and organizes the logistics for moving Annie and Sini to safer, long-term accommodations at a neighboring farm.

Dini is Mr. Hannink's daughter. She acts as a courier and guide for the hidden girls, bringing them messages, warnings of German searches, and occasional gifts like a Monopoly board to help them pass the time.

Miss Kleinhoonte is Sini's former teacher who actively assists the family during the occupation. She acts as a messenger, bringing news from the outside world and supplying Annie with schoolbooks so she does not fall completely behind in her education.

Willy is a local boy in Winterswijk who turns against Annie once the anti-Jewish regulations begin. He represents the sudden, painful shift in the community as former friends become hostile tormentors under the new regime.

Dr. Bos is the mayor of Winterswijk. When Jewish patients are banned from receiving visitors at the hospital, Annie appeals directly to him, and he grants her special permission to see her ailing mother.

Uncle Bram is a relative who recognizes the impending disaster in Europe and successfully immigrates to the United States before the borders close, leaving the rest of the family behind in Holland.

Mr. Herschel is a teacher who steps in to educate the Jewish children of Winterswijk after they are expelled from public schools. He is later taken away during a German roundup of Jewish men.

Reverend Zwaal is a minister who uses his network to find safe hiding places for persecuted Jewish citizens. He secures a location in Rotterdam for Mr. de Leeuw.

Reverend Slomp is a minister involved in the underground resistance who takes responsibility for hiding Rachel de Leeuw outside of Winterswijk. He facilitates communication between the separated sisters.

Mimi is a young Jewish girl hiding with a large group at a farm near Usselo. She and Annie share a brief, shy interaction when Dientje brings Annie over to meet someone her own age.

Uncle Phil is a relative of the de Leeuw family who initially remains in Holland alongside them. His connections help the family secure their initial hiding spots through Mr. Hannink.

Mr. Abbink is a local farmer who Mr. de Leeuw approaches for help. Though he declines because he fears his small children will not be able to keep a secret, he successfully connects the family with Reverend Zwaal.

Marie is the de Leeuw family's maid in Winterswijk. Though she enjoys working for them, she quits out of fear of being associated with Jewish citizens once the restrictive notices appear.

Fritz is a young boy who lives on a farm near the de Leeuw family's unfinished house. He becomes a brief playmate for Annie before her parents warn her against spending too much time outdoors.

Rikie is Dientje Oosterveld's niece. She is brought to the farmhouse to serve as an alibi after a German officer unexpectedly spots Annie sneaking downstairs, corroborating Johan's lie about a visiting relative.