Bird (Noah) Gardner - The 12-year-old protagonist whose Chinese American mother, Margaret Miu, went missing when he was 9 years old. He lives with his father Ethan in Cambridge, Massachusetts under the oppressive PACT laws that have taken away many freedoms.

Margaret Miu - Bird's mother, a Chinese American poet whose book of poems "Our Missing Hearts" became a symbol of resistance against PACT, leading to her being vilified and going into hiding.

Ethan Gardner - Bird's father, a former linguist who now works as a librarian. He has disavowed Margaret to protect Bird from the authorities.

Sadie - Bird's classmate and friend whose parents protested PACT, leading to her being taken from them and placed in foster care. She runs away to find her parents.

Domi - A wealthy friend of Margaret's who funds an underground network helping families separated by PACT.

Developed by AI