| 1 | James |
Bond | Fictional character |
| | Nai-Ma |
| Loo's nursemaid |
| | Loo |
Shu-Hsin | Narrator's mother. Aka: Bad Bad Girl, Agnes |
| | Grandmother |
| Loo's mother |
| | Little Sister |
| Loo's sister |
| | Teacher |
Wu | Loo's tutor |
| | Gish |
Jen | Narrator, Loo's daughter. Aka: Lillian |
| | Mother |
Greenough | Head of the school |
| | Mary |
| Mother of Christ |
| | Joseph |
| Carpenter, Mary's husband |
| | Chiang |
Kai-Shek | Ex-general and president of China |
| | M.C. |
Meigs | U.S.S. General |
| | Baba |
| Loo's father. Aka: Grandfather |
| | Lin |
Biao | Vice Premier of the Republic of China |
| 2 | Karl |
Marx | Father of Communism |
| | Bao-Bao |
| Loo's family dog |
| | Zhen-Zhen |
| Loo's family dog |
| | Mrs. |
Ping | Loo's aunt in America. Aka: Auntie |
| | Mr. |
Ping | Loo's uncle in America. Aka: Uncle |
| | George |
Ping | Loo's cousin |
| | Alicia |
Ping | George's sister |
| | Georgiana |
Huang | Loo's schoolmate; George's fiancée |
| | Professor |
Gray | Loo's English teacher |
| | Marnie |
Mulligan | Loo's schoolmate and churchmate |
| | George |
Marshall | U.S. General |
| | Jen |
Chao-Pe | New postdoc; Loo later married him. Aka: Xiao Pang Zi, Norman, Jin Quan |
| | Lu |
Xun | Chinese author |
| | Bo |
Quan | Narrator's paternal grandfather |
| 3 | Genghis |
Khan | Historical conqueror |
| | Dr. |
Leonard | Loo's obstetrician |
| | Professor |
Gray | Loo's thesis adviser |
| | Ed |
Sullivan | TV host |
| | Queen |
Elizabeth | Queen of England |
| | Qingru |
Jen | Chao-Pe and Loo's first-born son. Aka: Reuben |
| | Dr. |
Rock | Pediatrician |
| | Mrs. |
Tupper | Reuben's babysitter |
| | Dr. |
Brock | New pediatrician |
| | Lisha |
Jen | Chao-Pe and Loo's third child. Aka: Lisa |
| 4 | Jonny |
Creamer | Boy who bullies Reuben |
| | Billy |
Hall | Boy who bullies Reuben |
| | Jed |
Dempsey | Boy who bullies Reuben |
| | Cindy |
Newman | Lillian's new friend |
| | Ellen |
Agostino | Lillian's new friend |
| | Mrs. |
Cunningham | Lillian's new friend |
| | Mary Pat |
Rossi | Girl who bullies Lillian |
| | Sean |
Jen | Chao-Pe and Loo's fourth child. Aka: Qingshan |
| | Shane |
Jen | Chao-Pe and Loo's fifth child |
| | Jack |
| Reuben's coach |
| | Mrs. |
Mancini | Loo's neighbor |
| | Mr. |
Baron | Lillian's class magazine teacher |
| | Betsy |
Feinstein | Lillian's classmate |
| | Barry |
Fingerstone | Lillian's classmate |
| | Rhonda |
Hecht | Lillian's classmate |
| | Annie |
Dreyfus | Lillian's classmate |
| | Constant |
Tse | Girl from Nan Sing Plastic Factory |
| | Sam |
| Lillian's uncle |
| | Allison |
| Lillian's new best friend |
| | Mr. |
Gorman | Shop owner |
| | Andy |
Bezos | Mr. Gorman's worker |
| | Jeff |
Green | Mr. Gorman's worker |
| | Gillian |
Cantor | Lillian's friend |
| | Lori |
Kahn | Lillian's friend |
| | Carmen |
| Lillian's ballet teacher |
| 5 | Fitzgerald |
| Lillian's professor |
| | Beth |
| Lillian's teddy bear |
| | Jo |
| Lillian's teddy bear |
| | David |
O'Connor | Lillian's husband |
| | Barry |
Hannah | Lillian's literature teacher |
| | Luke |
Jen-O'Connor | Lillian and David's son |
| | Leesa |
| Lillian and David's dog |
| | Paoma |
Jen-O'Connor | Lillian and David's daughter |
| | Dr. |
Szabo | Chao-Pe's doctor |
| 6 | Grace |
| Chao-Pe's aide |
| | Melanie |
| Chao-Pe's aide |
| | Lena |
| Lisa's daughter |
| | Billy |
Lee | Lillian's Chinese friend |
| | Francis |
Lee | Chao-Pe's old classmate; Billy's father |
|
Lori |
Kahn |
Lillian's grade-school friend |
