Miranda is a pale young woman living in her family's bed and breakfast in Dover. She has a medical condition called pica, causing her to compulsively consume non-foods like chalk and plaster. Following a stint in a psychiatric facility, she prepares for Cambridge University interviews. She possesses an unsettling connection to the spirits of her female ancestors.

Eliot is Miranda's twin brother who views himself as a protector, drawing on their childhood games where he played a knight to her Morgan Le Fay. He applies to Cambridge and various media companies, planning for a life beyond Dover. He struggles to balance his own ambitions with his deep concern for his sister's deteriorating health.

Luc is a former restaurant reviewer and the son of a Parisian pastry chef. After his wife Lily dies in Haiti, he immerses himself in renovating the family's inherited Dover home into a bed and breakfast. He attempts to cure his daughter Miranda's pica by baking increasingly elaborate pastries, unable to fully comprehend the severity of her condition.

Ore is a Black student raised by white laborers in England. As a first-generation college student at Cambridge, she feels out of place among the ancient, imposing architecture and struggles with the pressure to validate her parents' decision to adopt her. She shares an interest in Caribbean folklore, specifically tales of the vampiric soucouyant.

The Silver House is a sprawling, castle-like structure in Dover positioned near the chalky cliffs of the English Channel. It possesses a sentient, malevolent awareness and harbors an intense hatred for foreigners and anyone it considers non-English. The house physically and psychologically torments minority guests and workers while attempting to exert total control over the women of the Silver family.

Sade is an African immigrant with English citizenship who takes a job as the housekeeper and cook at the bed and breakfast. Aware of the house's supernatural hostility, she actively combats its negative energy using traditional juju and protective cooking methods. She serves as a grounding, protective presence against the hostile environment.

Lily is Miranda and Eliot's deceased mother. A professional photographer who traveled to dangerous locations, she died in Haiti under tragic circumstances. She originally inherited the Silver House from her grandmother Anna but preferred living in London, only returning to Dover at Luc's urging.

Anna is Miranda's great-grandmother whose husband died during World War II. Her immense grief and intense nationalism permanently infected the Silver House with a xenophobic curse. As a young girl, she once dressed as Britannia, taking immense pride in a rigid, exclusionary view of English identity.

Jennifer is Lily's mother and Miranda's grandmother. Described as beautiful but resentful of her life in Dover, she harbors a strong desire to escape the suffocating presence of her mother Anna and flee with an Italian photographer.

Andrew is the scion of an American merchant family who was educated in England. He marries Anna and later dies during World War II while serving as a pilot over North Africa, a trauma that sets the family's dark legacy into motion.

Tijana is a Kosovan refugee and a schoolmate of Miranda's who later attends Cambridge. She holds intense animosity toward Miranda, believing Miranda is responsible for an attack on her cousin Agim.

Agim is Tijana's cousin. A Kosovan refugee living in Dover, he suffers an attack that leaves him deeply traumatized, fueling the tension between his community and the Silvers.

Azwer is an employee at the Silver family's bed and breakfast. He and his wife face severe harassment from the sentient house, ultimately forcing them to resign for their family's safety.

Ezma works alongside her husband Azwer at the Silver House. The terrifying incidents orchestrated by the house drive her away from her employment.

Deme is Azwer and Ezma's eldest child. She is targeted by the Silver House's racist magic, leading to a terrifying incident that forces her parents to quit.

Suryaz is the sibling of Deme and the child of Azwer and Ezma. Like the rest of his family, he is driven away by the oppressive hostility of the bed and breakfast.

Emma is Eliot's girlfriend in Dover. Their relationship ends abruptly after she acts out and demands he cut her hair short, adding to Eliot's mounting stress.

Martin is one of Eliot's local friends who takes a romantic interest in Miranda, inviting her to the pub.

Jalil is a boy from school who attempts to get closer to Miranda. They discuss curses together before she abruptly kisses him and leaves.

Sylvie is Luc's mother and a resident of Paris. Unlike many others who find Miranda odd, Sylvie genuinely appreciates her granddaughter's unique style and personality.

The Paul is Luc's father. He lives in Paris with his wife Sylvie and passes down his culinary talents to his son, influencing how Luc handles grief.

Sean is Ore's cousin. He actively taunts Ore by displaying xenophobic, anti-immigrant fliers, exacerbating her feelings of alienation within her own family.