| | 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. |
