| |
| Part I: 1985 |
| Rabbi Ava |
Miller | Addie's grandchild. To whom the letter is addressed. aka: Ava. |
| Jake |
| Addie's nephew. |
| Jessica |
| Addie's grandchild. Ava's sister. |
| Addie |
Baum | Narrator. The Boston Girl. Aka: Miss Cavendish, Abby Brown. |
| Arlene |
| Addie's daughter. Ava's aunt. |
| Clara |
| Ava's mother. |
| Celia |
| Addie's sister. aka: Sima. |
| Betty |
| Addie's eldest sister. aka: Bronia, Kurveh girl. |
| |
| Part II: 1915 - 1916 |
| Lena |
| Addie's mother. aka: Mameh. |
| Papa |
| Addie's father. |
| Mr. |
Wallace | Addie's elementary teacher. |
| Edith |
Chevalier | The one who started the library for girls. aka: The Poodle. |
| | Freistadt |
Addie's neighbor. |
| Rose |
Reardon | The President of Saturday Club. |
| Edith |
Green | Fine Arts instructor. Ran a pottery. |
| |
| Rock Port Lodge - Inn for Young Ladies. |
| Helen |
Frommer | Gussie's older sister. |
| Gussie |
Frommer | Helen's sister. The Mayor of Rock Port Lodge. |
| Maria Filomena |
Gallinelli | Addie's Italian roommate and best friend. |
| Margaret |
Morse | The best cook at Rock Port Lodge. |
| Irene |
Conley | Rose's roommate. |
| Ms. |
Holbrooke | In charge of outside activities in Rock Port Lodge. |
| Ms. |
Case | Ms. Holbrook's boss. |
| Kathleen |
| Irene's brother's wife. aka: The Cow. |
| Maria I. |
Gallinelli | Filomena's sister. aka: Mimi. |
| Maria Teresa |
Gallinelli | Filomena's sister. |
| Maria D. |
Gallinelli | Filomena's sister. |
| Maria Sofia |
Gallinelli | Filomena's sister. |
| Nahum |
| Addie's deceased brother. |
| Herman |
Levine | Celia's former husband. Betty's current husband. |
| Myron |
Levine | Herman's son. aka: Mike. |
| Jacob |
Levine | Herman's son. |
| Mrs. |
Kampinsky | Addie's neighbor. |
| Harold George |
Weeks | Addie's first kiss. |
| Michael |
Culkeen | Police officer. |
| | Gilman |
Rent collector. |
| |
| Part III: 1917 - 1918 |
| Leslie |
Parker | Instructor of making pots. aka: Lulu. |
| Martin |
| Filomena's uncle. |
| Robert |
Morelli | A bronze and clay artist. |
| Bob |
Morelli | The guy who covered for Leslie. |
| |
| Ayer School - Girls prep school. |
| Ms. |
Powder | Addie's typing class teacher. |
| Maureen |
Blair | The best student. |
| Mr. |
Boyer | Addie's poetry teacher. |
| Sally |
Blaustein | Addie's classmate. |
| Iris |
Olshinsky | Addie's classmate. |
| Mario |
Romano | Addie's classmate. |
| Ernie |
Goldman | Addie's classmate. Dated Addie. |
| Christiane |
| Filomena's nurse. |
| Leonard |
Levine | Herman's son. |
| Laibel |
| Addie's uncle. aka: Lenny. |
| Josephus |
Daniels | Navy commander. |
| Olive |
| Ms. Chevalier's friend. |
| |
| Part V: 1922 - 1924 |
| Morris |
Silverman | Herman's business partner. |
| Richie |
| Betty's twin son. |
| Carl |
| Betty's twin son. |
| Gloria |
Lettis | Rock Port Lodge's Director. |
| Lucy |
Miller | A 13 year-old with blond pigtails at Rock Port Lodge. |
| Hannah |
| Washer woman at Rock Port Lodge. |
| Elizabeth |
Styles | Mrs. Morse's sister. Deaf Instructor at Rock Port Lodge. |
| George |
| Mrs. Morse's son. |
| Bess |
Sparber | Gussie's friend from the courthouse. |
| Ned |
| Lucy's uncle. |
| Charles |
Thorndike | Tessa's husband. A writer. |
| Tessa |
Thorndike | Addie's friend. aka: Mrs. Smith, Serena. |
| Mrs. |
Kay | Addie's boarding house landlady. |
| |
| The Transcript - The company Addie worked at. |
| Mr. |
Morton | Addie's interviewer and boss at The Transcript. aka: Mort. |
| Flora |
| Columnist at The Transcript. |
| Katherine |
Walters | Columnist at The
Transcript. Aka: Miss Maypole, the Giraffe. |
| Ian |
Cornish | Editor at The Transcript. aka: The Bantam, Henrieta Cavendish. |
| |
| Part VI: 1925 - 1926 |
| Mary |
Holland | Told Addie about the Anti-Lynching Crusade. |
| Rita |
Metsky | Law student who will be going to Pontia Law School. |
| Aaron |
Metsky | Rita's brother. Addie's then-boyfriend. |
| Bert |
Forster | 14 year-old who lost fingers on his right hand. |
| Ruth |
| Aaron's cousin. |
| Joe |
Riley | Irene's husband. |
| Martha |
| Aaron's acquaintance. |
| Michael |
Metsky | Aaron's brother. A real estate lawyer. |
| Mildred |
Metsky | Aaron's stepmother. |
| Murray |
Metsky | Aaron's father. |
| Lois |
Rosensweig | Someone Michael dated for 5 years. |
| |
| Part VII: 1927 |
| Sylvia |
| Ava's aunt. |
| |
| Part VIII: 1931 |
| Simone |
| Aaron's biological mother. |
| Jonah |
| Eddy's daughter. |
| Jacob |
| Eddy's son. |
| Saul |
Cohen | Art collector from Philadelphia. |