Liza Winthrop
Liza is the narrator and protagonist of this novel. She is seventeen year old girl who is the student body president of her school, Foster Academy, and aspires to be admitted into MIT to study to become an architect. Living in the affluent neighbourhood of Brooklyn Heights with her parents and younger brother, it was important to her to keep up a perfect appearance, leading to her initial fear of coming out as a lesbian. Having not considered about her own sexuality before, the insensitivity of those around her and the pressure she faces soon pushed her to leave Annie. However, as the plot of the novel develops, Liza further discovers her own sexuality and eventually embraces who she really is and reunites with Annie.
Annie Kenyon
Annie is the girl Liza is in love with. She is a seventeen year old girl who lives in a shabby neighbourhood with her parents who were both Italian immigrants. Due to the family's low income, she goes to a public school, but she aims to attend University of California, Berkeley to study music and to become a singer. Annie is more courageous than Liza; as evident from her many letters to Liza, she is not afraid to admit her feelings for Liza and accepts her own sexual orientation.
Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer
They are a lesbian couple who were teachers from Liza's school, Foster Academy. They lived together in one house, and were discovered to be a couple by the school board when Liza and Annie were discovered to be together in their house. The school board condemned their relationship as "having adverse influence on students" and fired them from their teaching positions. They are supportive and understands Liza and Annie's relationship.
Mrs. Poindexter
She is the homophobic leader of the school board of Foster Academy who is the main "villian" in the novel. She has a very harsh and insensitive personality, and initially proposed to expel Liza due to Liza's sexuality. She is also the one who fired the two teachers who were found to be a lesbian couple living together.
