| Ruth | Reichl | Narrator. aka: Ruthie. |
1 | Burt | Langner | Ruth Langner's husband. |
| Ruth | Langner | Burt Langner's wife. |
| Miriam | Reichl | Ruthie's mother. aka: Mimi. |
| Shelly | | Bob's fiance. |
| Bob | Reichl | Ruthie's brother. |
| Jeanie | | Ruthie's best friend. |
| Bertrand | Russell | Miriam's old friend in Wales. |
2 | Birdie | | Alice's mother. aka: Aunt Birdie. |
| Alice | | Aunt Birdie's daughter. Ruthie's father's first wife. |
| Menuhin | | Ruthie's grandmother's famous friend. |
| Hortenese | | Aunt Birdie's lost daughter. |
| Rubinstein | | Ruthie's grandmother's famous friend. |
| Uncle | Perry | Aunt Birdie's husband. |
| Georgie | | The butcher. |
3 | Mrs. | Peavey | Ruthie's maid. A good cook. |
| Louvinia | | Ruthie's former maid. |
| Winnie | | Ruthie's former maid. |
| Palmer | Peavey | Mrs. Peavey's son. |
| Potter | Peavey | Mrs. Peavey's handsome son. |
| Carter | Peavey | Mrs. Peavey's son. |
| Mr. | Holly | Ruthie's friend. |
| Mr. | Peavey | Mrs. Peavey's husband. Deceased. |
4 | Ginette | Spanier | Director of Maison Balmain. |
| Ernest | Reichl | Ruthie's father. |
| Mrs. | Perrin | Ruthie's teacher. |
| | Petit | The housemother. |
| Janine | | Ruthie's guardian. |
| Madame | Cartet | Ruthie's French teacher. |
| Beatrice | de Croix | Ruthie's friend. Ruthie's richest classmate. |
| Madame | du Croix | Beatrice's mother. |
| Monsieur | du Croix | Beatrice's father. |
5 | Julie | | Ruthie's new best friend. |
| Tommy | Calfano | Ruthie's high school crush. |
| Bill | | Julie's boyfriend. |
| Bobby | | Ruthie's friend. |
| Linda | | The funniest girl in Ruthie's school. |
| Miss | Hill | Ruthie's high school teacher. |
| Mr. | Allston | Ruthie's high school Chemistry teacher. |
| Gloria | | Troy's girlfriend. Ruthie's classmate. |
| Troy | | Gloria's boyfriend. Ruthie's classmate. |
6 | Nikili | | One of the campers. |
| Roland | | Nikili's friend. |
| Suzanne | | Ruthie's roommate. |
| Danielle | | Ruthie's new friend and co-camper. |
| Monique | | Ruthie's friend and co-camper. |
| Georges | | Ruthie's crush. |
| Henri | Heveau | Racist French. Madame Deveau's husband. |
| Madame | Deveau | Racist French. Monsieur Deveau's wife. |
7 | Serafina | | Ruthie's college roommate. |
| Rob | | Serafina's boyfriend. |
| Chuck | Mason | Rob's quarterback. |
| Marina | | Ruthie's roommate. |
| Susan | | Ruthie's roommate. |
| Mohammed | | Ruthie's morrocan friend. |
| Leonard | Woolf | Man who interviews people for the book he's writing. |
| Bill | | SDS guy who fell in love with Serafina. Rich political kid. |
8 | Mac | | Negro man. Ruthie's new friend. |
| Claritha | | Woman who proudly wears a carrot wig. |
| Mrs. | Forest | Ruthie's favorite client. |
| Crystal | | Mrs. Forest's oldest daughter. |
| Charisse | | Mrs. Forest's baby. |
| Ben | | Deaf 9-year-old kid. |
| Mrs. | Williams | Woman with 8 children. |
| Janisse | | Crystal's sister. |
9 | Alan | Jones | Ruthie's friend and love-at-first-sight. |
| Maurice | | Owner of the restaurant where Ruthie works. |
| Rolf | | Sous chef. |
| Lincoln | | Best grill man in Michigan. |
| Henry | | The best waiter in Maurice's restaurant. |
| Marielle | | Ruthie's workmate. |
| William | | Cashier. |
10 | Pat | | Ruthie's art history classmate. Ruthie's new roommate. |
| Taeb | | Someone Serafina and Ruthie met. |
| Noureddine | | Taeb's friend. |
| Mina | | Noureddine's sister. |
| Fatima | | Taeb's sister. |
| Dris | | A Tunisian man. Noureddine's friend. |
11 | Mr. | Blue | The owner of the apartment where Ruthie stays. |
| Doug | | Pat's friend. Ruthie's boyfriend. |
| Lordy | | Doug's stepfather. |
| Wilbur | Wright | A pilot. |
12 | Milton | | Prominent artist. |
| Hilly | | Milton's beautiful
friend. Owner Ann Arbor Fish & Chips shop. |
| Kingsley | Amis | Hilly's husband. |
| Ephrosike | | Famous cook. |
| Pantelis | | Owner of a restaurant. Offered Milton his recipe. |
| Gillian | | Milton's friend. |
| Izzy | T. | A superstar Ruthie met. |
| Andy | Warhol | A superstar Ruthie met at the party. |
| Jerry | | A superstar who came to the party. |
| Rick | | Pat's boyfriend. |
| Essie | | Mr. Izzy's friend. |
14 | Nick | | Martha's boyfriend. Man owns apartment where Ruthie stays. |
| Martha | | Nick's girlfriend. Ruthie's new friend. |
| Francesco | | Venetian. The guy whom Nick offered a place to stay. |
| Elena | | Francesco's companion. |
15 | Helen | | Worker at The Swallow. |
| Peter | | Worker at The Swallow. |
| Judith | | Cook at The Swallow. The professor's wife. |
| Antoinette | | Cook at The Swallow. |
| Rudy | | Cashier at The Swallow. |
| Michael | | Worker at The Swallow. |
| Chrissy | | Worker at The Swallow. |
| Rachel | Rubenstein | Woman who's writing her thesis on film. |
16 | Estelle | | Miriam's friend. |
17 | Kermit | Lynch | Owner of a wine shop. |
| Monsieur | Blanc | The Duke. |
| Monsieur | de Montille | Kermit's client. |
| Monsieur | Monassier | Owner of a wine cellar. |
| Monsieur | Vachet | Owns a montagny. |
| Monsieur | Trenel | Owner of a wine shop. |
| Madame | Trenel | Monsieur Trenel's wife. |
18 | Jim | | Works for a milk company. |
| Marion | | Ruthie's new friend. |
| Gerald | Asher | Wine writer. |
| Robert | | Marion's husband. |
| Mark | | Marion and Robert's son. |
| Cecilia | Chiang | Owner of a Mandarin restaurant. |