Armand
Armand is a tramp who lives on the streets of Paris, specifically in a spot under the bridge that he has slept in for so long he feels that it is his own and is none too pleased to find the Calcet family taking up residence there; he really does feel a kind of ownership of it. He has been a tramp for so long that it has stolen his identity and he cannot remember his life before he lived this way; he can't even remember what his last name is because he never uses it. He keeps his belongings in an old cart. These belongings include a single black leather dress shoe which he found in the river and he keeps because he knows that one day the other one will turn up. During the course of the story, Armand seems to change a great deal, or perhaps, becomes the man he used to be again. He discovers a proud and honorable side of himself and to his super likes having a family to take care of. He moves quickly from not liking children to wanting to find a job so that he can step in and earn money to take care of them. He is hard working and loyal and really becomes the hero of the book. By opening himself up to giving and receiving affection he uncovers the man he had forgotten how to be.
Suzy Calcet
Suzy is the eldest of the three Calcet children and swings from childish to very grown up suddenly, as she is yanked from her childhood by the need to be the parent while her mother is working. She is pragmatic about their situation and remains optimistic that it will improve. Suzy is relentlessly cheerful and is the instigator of their friendship with Armand. She instinctively trusts him which is at first slightly alarming to her mother who doesn't know him and is concerned as to why he is spending time with her children. Suzy's optimistic outlook starts to rub off on Armand and it is she who is the catalyst for his change.
Paul Calcet
Paul is the middle child and the only boy and anxious to show that he is ready to be a man. He wants to protect his sisters and also to join in with the men in the ghost camp when there is heavy work to do. He is also very conscious of his responsibilities and gets a job that is physically beyond his capabilities so that he can help out.Unlike Suzy, Paul does not miss going to school and takes to life as a gypsy to such an extent that he temporarily forgets about his own family and decides to run away with the gypsies when they move to a new camp.
Evelyne Calcet
Evelyne is just a little girl and consequently the child that the social workers seem to fixate upon when they are starting to mention things like "well being". She is cute and endearing and able to make people fall in love with her in the blink of an eye. She is a sweet little girl who finds life under the bridge very difficult.
Madame Calcet
Madame Calcet is a proud woman who is sad and embarrassed that she has lost the family's home; she is deeply ashamed that they have to live on the streets. At first she can seem to give off a little attitude and gives the impression that she feels superior to the other people forced to live on the street. Madame Calcet knows that the best thing for her family is for it to be kept together which is why she makes the difficult decision to avoid asking for help from social workers. She is a very hard worker and despite feeling that all of this situation is her fault he reality is that she is not to blame at all. She definitely warms to Armand and is grateful for his help and friendship and as a result treats him as family by the end of the novel so that when her situation improves she sees that as an opportunity for him to improve as well.
Tinka
Tinka is a young girl who is a gypsy and befriends Sophie whilst the Calcets are living in the gypsy encampment. She is a fun a d exuberant child and teaches Sophie how to speak Romany in exchange for Sophie teaching her to read and write French. Before the arrival of the Calcet family, Timka, like her friends in the encampment, is illiterate. She is an open-hearted girl who is only to happy to share her accommodations and everything she has with Sophie. She is also proud of her Romany heritage and wants to share it.
