Anita
Anita is the main character and the one who narrates the story of her family living in fear under dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. She is also a twelve-year-old girl coping with her personal growth into a young woman.
Chucha
Chucha is the family's old mystical housekeeper, who through the years became trusted as a part of the family. She is from Haiti and has strange habits, such as wearing only purple and sleeping in a coffin. Anita feels safe with her presence in their home.
Sam Washburn
Sam is an American boy Anita's age who comes to live in her family's compound together with his family so that the SIM stops keeping watch on the compound. Anita grows to like him more than a friend.
Tío Toni
Tío Toni is Anita's uncle, who got involved in an operation against the dictator and had to flee the country. He was pardoned and returned to the compound soon after the Washburn family moved in as well.
El Jefe
El Jefe is how they refer to the dictator of the Dominican Republic in the novel. He is the main villain in the novel.
