| 2 | Gifty | | The protagonist. |
| | Pastor | John | A preacher. |
| | Billy | Graham | American Christian evangelist. |
| | Anne | | Gifty's friend. |
| 3 | Han | | Gifty's lab mate. |
| 5 | Chin Chin Man | | Gifty's father's code name. |
| | Nana | | Gifty's brother. aka: Buzz. |
| | Black Mamba | | Gifty's mother's code name. |
| 7 | Geoffrey | | Gifty's fellow student in kindergarten class. |
| | Mr. | Thomas | An octogenarian with an early-stage Parkinson's disease. |
| 8 | Katie | | One of Gifty's friends. |
| | Ashley | | Gifty's childhood best friend. |
| | Buddy | | A golden retriever. |
| | Mrs. | Caldwell | Gifty's neighbor. |
| | Mrs. | Pasternack | A biology teacher. |
| | Katherine | | Gifty's friend. aka: Kathy. |
| | Steve | | Katherine's husband. |
| 9 | Raymond | | A PhD candidate in Modern Thought and Literature. |
| | Samantha | | Gifty's roommate. |
| 10 | Sabina | | A grocery cashier. |
| 12 | Mike | | A 67 year old man who was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. |
| 14 | Bethany | | Gifty's friend. |
| | Ben | Okri | A Nigerian writer. |
| | Tanya | | Gifty's colleague. |
| | William | Shakespeare | English playwright and poet. |
| 17 | Yao | | One of Gifty's group mates. |
| | Molly | | One of Gifty's group mates. |
| | Zack | | One of Gifty's group mates. |
| | Ernest | | One of Gifty's group mates. |
| | John | Harvard | Statue in Cambridge, Massachusetts of Harvard Univ. founder. |
| 18 | Colen | | Ashley's brother. |
| 19 | Gerard Manley | Hopkins | English poet. |
| | Pastor Tom | | A young preacher. aka: PT. |
| 24 | T. M. | Luhrmann | A contributing opinion writer. |
| | R. | Padmavati | Works at Schizophrenia Research Foundation. |
| | H. | Tharoor | Consultant Psychiatrist. |
| 25 | Mary | | Pastor John's daughter. |
| | Melissa | | One of a church members. |
| | Miss | Cindy | A lecturer. |
| 27 | Mrs. | Palmer | A woman Gifty's mother is caring for. |
| 30 | Mrs. | Bell | Gifty's teacher. |
| | Misty | Moore | One of Gifty's acquaintances. |
| | Daniel | Gentry | One of Gifty's acquaintances. |
| | Ryan | Green | P.T.'s protégé. |
| 31 | Mrs. | Reynolds | Gifty's mother's acquaintance. |
| 36 | Mrs. | Cline | A deacon at the First Assemblies. |
| | Mrs. | Morton | Mrs. Cline's acquaintance. |
| 37 | Mrs. | Foster | Gifty's mother's acquaintance. |
| 38 | Justin | | Gifty's acquaintance. |
| 40 | Mrs. | Greer | A librarian. |
| | Max R. | Bennett | A psychologist. |
| | Peter M.S. | Hacker | A philosopher. |
| | Fred | | A thesis adviser. |
| 41 | Lisa | | Pastor John's wife. |
| | Joyce | | Gifty's aunt. |
| 48 | Brent | | Nana's acquaintance. |
| 54 | Bob | | A maintenance man. |
