In order of appearance (principal characters are bolded)
MARY YU-RHEE HWANG | Narrator; her family owns Lucky Coin Variety |
Tico (Tracy) | Homeless man and regular customer |
JOSH CHUN-HA HWANG | Mary’s brother; he is a year younger |
Mr. Mills | Mary’s 4th grade teacher |
Delia (Scarlet) | Mary’s former classmate; now a prostitute |
OMMA | Mary’s mother |
APPA | Mary’s father |
Rubina | Mary’s best friend |
The Young family | Family friends |
WILL ALLEN | Mary’s teacher and later boyfriend |
Mrs. Cha | A family friend |
Mr. Darcy | Mary’s elementary school principal |
Leon | Pimp |
Erin, Linda | Mary’s friends |
Mrs. Lee | A family friend |
Susie X (Mona) | Prostitute |
Mrs. O’Doherty | Regular customer |
Kun emoh, jageun emoh | Mary’s aunts in Korea |
JOON-HO (SEAN) | A family friend who becomes Mary’s boyfriend |
Mi-Ra | Mary’s lost aunt |
Eun-Jin | Mary’s cousin in Korea |
Gucci Lady (Mrs. Kim) | Mary’s mother’s friend; Kate’s mother |
Kate Kim | Mary’s first Korean friend |
Mato | Cab driver and regular customer |
Jake | Erin’s boyfriend |
Dr. Rusaline Elliott | Mary’s sociology professor |
Morticia and Gomez | Mary’s nickname for Joon-Ho’s parents |
Mrs. Henry | Joon-Ho’s landlady |
Allison Roy | Lawyer |
Ryan Faulkner | Police detective |
Priya | Therapist |