David
David is a Jewish kid during the Holocaust, but he has been in concentration camps as long as he can remember, without really understanding why he is there. His family died early, so he doesn't have any of the cultural knowledge from his heritage. One day, someone helps him escape, and this novel follows his journey toward safety as he travels south toward Italy and then eventually to Denmark.
The commandant
There is a military official who David doesn't know personally, but the commandant knows David because he has seen him grow up. He knows that David is an orphan with absolutely no knowledge of the outside world. One day he is moved by compassion to turn off the electric fence, to give David some supplies, and to help him escape.
Maria
In David's journeying, he sees a barn burning down with a girl trapped inside. He saves this girl, Maria, from the fire and earns the affection of Maria's family. For a while, he stays with them.
Sophie
A woman from Switzerland who finds David to be a beautiful human. She is a painter, and she asks to paint David's portrait. Sophie knows David's mother, but she doesn't know that David is the Danish woman's son.
