| 1 | | | August 1963 |
| | Alice Katherine | Kessler | An amateur ornithologist. |
| | Thomas | Bayber | A painter. |
| | Mrs. | Phelan | The librarian. |
| | Mary | Oliver | American poet. |
| | Slim | Gaillard | American jazz singer and songwriter. |
| | Rita | Reys | A jazz singer from Netherlands. |
| | King Pleasure | | A legendary jazz band. |
| | Jimmy | Giuffre | An American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer, and arranger. |
| | Vincent | Price | American actor. |
| | Tamara | Philson | A woman who always wore her long strand of pearls everywhere. |
| | Myrna | Reston | The cabin owner. |
| | Niels | | Alice's father. |
| | Natalie | Kessler | Alice's older sister. |
| | Neela | | A dog. |
| | Felicity | Kessler | Alice's mother. |
| | Édith | Piaf | A French singer-songwriter, cabaret performer and film actress. |
| 2 | | | October 2007 |
| | Dennis | Finch | An art history professor. aka: Denny. |
| | Claire | | Finch's wife. |
| | Ralph | Williams | An English composer. |
| | Dean | Hamilton | A film director. |
| | Lydia | | Finch's daughter. |
| | Stark | | Bayber's acquaintance. |
| | Stephen | Jameson | An eccentric young art authenticator. |
| | Dylan | Jameson | Owned a small gallery in SoHo. |
| | Mr. | Cranston | President of Murchison and Dunne. |
| 3 | Sylvia | Dillon | Mr. Cranston's assistant. |
| | Chloe | | Stephen's ex-girlfriend. |
| | Simon | Hapsend | Stephen's acquaintance. |
| 4 | Jack | Horner | An American paleontologist. |
| 5 | Mrs. | Blankenship | Thomas Bayber's assistant. |
| 6 | | | October 1971 |
| | Mrs. | Pym | Alice's academic adviser. |
| | Professor | Strand | A lecturer on avian biogeography. |
| | Therese | Garza | A housekeeper. |
| | George,Jr. | | Myrna Reston's son. |
| | Evan | | George,Jr.'s man. |
| | Leticia | Bayber | Thomas' mother. |
| | Dorothy | Doughty | An
ornithologist and naturalist. |
| | Freda | | Dorothy Doughty's sister. |
| 7 | | | November 2007 |
| | Thomas, Sr. | | Thomas Bayber's father. |
| | Winslow | Edell | The Kessler's friend. |
| | Esme | | Winslow's wife. |
| 8 | | | August 1972 |
| | Saicee | | A housekeeper. |
| | Phinneaus | Lapine | Alice's neighbor. |
| 9 | George, Sr. | | Myrna Reston's husband. |
| 10 | Frankie | | Phinneaus' nephew. |
| | Albert | | A funeral director's assistant. |
| | Sheila | | Phinneaus' sister. |
| 11 | Kevin | | Finch's son-in-law. |
| | Meredith | Ripley | Kevin's colleague. |
| | Harry | Watrous | American artist. |
| 12 | Sofia | Kessler | Supposed name of Alice's child. |
| | Agnete | | Alice's daughter. aka: Aggie. |
| 14 | | | December 2007 |
| | P. T. | Barnum | An American showman. |
