Characters & Timelines
In order of appearance
Book 1 (Season 1 & 2)
Paris & Arles
1888
Samira (“Rachel”) Santiago
A gifted psychic, gitana and “working girl” in Arles’ red light district, she originally hails from Seville, Spain. She and her younger sister, Tiena, were forced to flee their home after the murder of their father. Their uncle (father’s older brother), who lives in Marseilles, arranged for them to leave home and work for Madame Chabaud in her brothel. Before the murder of her father, she was a flamenco dancer in his cantina.
Tiena Santiago
Samira’s younger sister. No less beautiful than her sister, she is more comfortable “taking a back seat” and following her older sister’s lead. She is shy and worries about the future, and is more than a little homesick for their former home in Seville.
Gabrielle (“Gaby”) Berlatier
A young woman from Arles who traveled to Paris to receive life-saving rabies treatment at the Pasteur Institute. While walking through Luxembourg Gardens with her mother, she meets Vincent sketching in the park. This “chance” meeting becomes the catalyst for his trip to the south.
Paulette Berlatier
Gabrielle’s domineering mother. To put it simply, she’s a very unhappy woman who takes out her frustration with her life out on her daughter, who can’t do anything right (in her eyes). Theirs is the quintessential “mother-daughter” relationship.
Henri Berlatier
Gabrielle’s father. A kind and compassionate man, he refers to Gaby as “Pumpkin” and openly shows his love for her, partly because that’s how he genuinely feels and partly to make up for his wife’s shortcomings in that department. Not one to raise his voice or challenge anyone, he won’t confront his wife head-on about her attitude or treatment of Gaby.
Vincent van Gogh
To put is simply, Vincent is a passionate person. And he is not shy about sharing about his passions, whether verbally, in writing or through brushstrokes on canvas. He unapologetically wears his heart on his sleeve, and can’t understand why some people find that problematic, or distasteful. What’s more, he has fully committed himself to his craft with what might best be described as spiritual fervor.
Theo van Gogh
Vincent’s younger brother and art dealer. In a word, Theo is a “visionary” who has a keen eye for fine art which transcends the current trends or ordinary tastes. He particularly values impressionist and post-impressionist works, along with the artists creating those works. In fact, it was Theo who convinced Vincent to commit himself to becoming a full-time artist, and he doggedly stands behind that decision by supporting him financially.
Victor Berlatier
Gabrielle’s uncle and Henri’s younger brother. Gaby and her uncle have a wonderful relationship, and she often finds it easier to confide to him than her own father, and especially her mother.
Paul Gauguin
Artist and eventual housemate of Vincent’s in Arles. Having left his career as a stockbroker far behind, along with his wife and children, Paul is convinced of his own artistic genius and longs to live well beyond the societal “norms” of everyday life. And yet, he craves public recognition and can’t understand why more of his paintings haven’t sold. As Theo’s client, he yearns to live the good life while struggling with mounting debts which weigh heavily on his mind.
Marie Jeanne Gloanec
Proprietress of the Pension Gloanec in Pont-Aven village in Brittany. Her boarding house serves as the de facto center of a thriving art community in the area, with numerous works hung on the walls on the dining room walls.
Clasina Maria (“Sien”) Hoornik
Coming soon…
Isolda Santiago
Samira and Tiena’s mother.
Joseph Ginoux
Owner of Café de la Gare and Gaby’s boss. Vincent eventually rents a room from him and will feature his establishment in one of his notable works.
Albert Carrel
Proprietor of the Restaurant Carrel. When Vincent first arrive in Arles he rented an upstairs room, and painted a number of works from inside the dining room. Soon, however, Albert quarreled with Vincent about the amount of space he was taking up with his painting supplies and demanded more money from him. When Vincent finally moved out (moving to Joseph Ginoux’s place), Albert held back a number of paintings as payment due. Vincent sued him in court and won, forcing Albert to relinquish the stolen paintings.
Catherine Carrel
Albert’s wife. More strong-willed than her husband, she remains behind the scenes and pushes the right buttons to get Albert to do as she wishes.
Virginie Chabaud
Owner of several brothels in Arles’ red light district, including House of Tolerance #1 where Samira and her sister Tiena work. Gabrielle will also work for Madame Chabaud as a maid. She is a tough but fair boss, and beneath the hardened exterior (a necessity surviving in a “man’s world”) is a kind and compassionate person. Just be sure not to tell anyone, or you’ll have to face her wrath.
Vano Santiago
Samira and Tiena’s father. He owns a cantina and plays flamenco guitar. When Danior comes to claim Samira for his wife, he refuses.
Émile Bernard
Vincent and Gauguin’s friend Émile Bernard.
Madeleine Bernard
Émile’s younger sister. Vincent paints her portrait while staying in Pont Aven, Brittany. She becomes infatuated with Gauguin, and will later express her feelings to him in a letter.
Anna Cornelia van Gogh
Vincent’s sister and the second oldest of all their siblings. She comes to visit Vincent in England while he is there working for his Uncle Cent. After their father’s death, she argues with him about his inheritance which leads Vincent to leave Holland, never to return.
Book 2 (Season 3 & 4)
Arles, Seville & Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
1888 to 1889
Jacques Boucher
The young man engaged to Gabrielle. As the son of a butcher on the south side of Arles, he will inherit his father’s butcher shop after turning twenty. Kind, quiet and a man of very few words, he will prove to be a good husband for Gaby and a wonderful father for their three children.
Louis de Montfort
A 17th century French Catholic priest well known for preaching missions in Brittany and Nantes. He founded two religious orders which survive to this day, the Daughters of Wisdom and the Montfort Missionaries.
Reverend Salles
A protestant minister in Arles, and one of Vincent’s friends. After Vincent was evicted from the Yellow House, he briefly stayed with him until a flood damaged some of his paintings.
Johanna (“Jo”) van Gogh-Bonger
Vincent’s sister-in-law. Though Theo proposed to her a year earlier after only three dates (which she declined), a chance meeting in Paris before Vincent was attacked leads to a rekindling of their relationship. In fact, right before having to board a train to Arles on Christmas eve, Jo agrees to marry Theo.
Dr. Felix Rey
Vincent’s doctor in Arles. After Vincent was evicted from the Yellow House, he briefly stayed in a room owned by Dr. Rey.
Pierre (“Le Garçon”)
One of Vincent’s caretakers at the asylum. He accompanies Vincent during his many walks around the grounds and into the surrounding countryside.
Nadya
Tiena’s aunt and her mother’s sister.
Danior Morón de la Frontera
Through an arranged marriage agreed upon when he and Samira were young, Danior eventually confronts Samira’s father after learning that he has refused to honor the agreement. Quick to temper, Danior kills Vano in response.
Book 3 (Season 5 & 6)
Paris & Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
1889
Cor van Gogh
Vincent’s youngest brother.
Charlotte Buisse
Emile’s love interest. He proposes marriage, but her father flatly refuses because Emile is not a “proper man of means.”
Luca Santiago
Tiena’s uncle, who lives in Marseilles. As Vano’s younger brother, he is the one responsible for Samira and Tiena working in Arles.
Book 4 (Season 7 & 8)
Paris & Pont-Aven
1890
Dr. Gachet
Vincent’s doctor in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Marguerite Gachet
Dr. Gachet’s daughter.
Mara Santiago
Samira’s daughter.
Book 1 (Season 1 & 2)
Berlin
1926 to 1930
Gertrud Engel
Kurt’s mother.
Moshe Schechter
Kurt’s neighbor and a long time family friend of the Engels. In fact, Kurt’s father died in the First World War while saving Moshe from enemy fire during a failed attack near Verdun. He soon becomes a father figure to Kurt, and eventually becomes his boss at his jewelry and watch repair business.
Anna Engel
Kurt’s older sister.
Kurt Engel
coming soon.
Oskar Scheller
Kurt’s neighbor and eventual brother-in-law, marrying Kurt’s older sister Anna. He progresses from the Hitler Youth to becoming an officer in the SA, often taking part in breaking up rallies of other political parties, especially the communists.
Adele Braun
Elisabeth’s grandmother.
Elisabeth Braun
Kurt’s neighbor who lives directly across from his apartment building, and eventual girlfriend.
Heinrich Badt
Neighborhood bully, later a Gestapo agent.
Wilhelm Lang
Kurt’s best friend from school. Wilhelm will be forced to quit school when his disabled war veteran father loses his job. He’ll work full time in a lumber yard and will eventually volunteer to join the “Condor Legion” during the Spanish Civil War.
Edna Baumgarten
Moshe’s long time customer. She will also become one of Gertrud’s first customers for laundering clothes.
Ernst Scheller
Oskar’s father, labeled a “trembler” because of severe “shell shock” suffered while fighting in the First World War. He’s also a source of embarrassment for Oskar.
Mrs. Altmann
Another of Gertrud’s customers who has a special spot for Kurt. Later her and her husband will move the Bavarian Quarter of Berlin before finally moving to London before things in Berlin become impossible.
Max Fleischmann
A former classmate of Anna’s, he works in one of the government offices. When Anna loses her job because of the Depression and runaway inflation, he will offer her a job to serve at parties at the Hotel Adlon, where many of the “movers and shakers” of Berlin’s elite continue to meet and play.
Karl Engel
Kurt’s fathter.
Frieda Scheller
Ernst’s wife and Oskar’s mother. Through her full time job at Deutsche Bank, the Schellers are able to maintain a normal lifestyle despite Ernst’s inability to work. She is also proud of her son and the work he does as a member of the “Brown Shirts.”
Book 2 (Season 3 & 4)
Berlin, Seville & Bilbao
1933 to 1936
Fritz Altmann
Mrs. Altmann’s husband, Fritz owns a small but successful manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Berlin. Often away on business, particularly to London, when he finally meets Kurt days before the start of his first college semester he’ll suggest that Kurt might want to look up an old friend of his, Professor Klingemann. Learning that Patrick will be studying mechanical engineering, he tells Kurt that there’s a job waiting for him after graduation should he do well at his studies.
Mara Santiago
Samira’s daughter and Tiena’s niece.
Book 3 (Season 5 & 6)
Berlin, Sarajevo, Lublin & Rostov
1939 to 1941
Sgt. Otto Schepke
An NCO commanding Kurt’s squad.
Major Dietrich
Kurt’s commanding officer.
Andreea Serban
A young woman that Kurt meets while stationed in Poland before the launch of Operation Barbarossa. While recuperating after the Russian counterattack around Rostov, they have a brief affair.
Book 4 (Season 7 & 8)
Berlin, Kharkov & Stalingrad
1942 to 1943
Liesel Engel
Kurt and Elisabeth’s daughter, though he never knows about her birth since he was away fighting on the Eastern Front during the war.
Book 1 (Season 1 & 2)
Chicago & Naperville
1945 to 1962
Fergus (“Gus”) Quinn
Patrick’s stepfather.
Nick Rafoth
Colleen’s former foreman and Patrick’s actual father.
Colleen Quinn
Patrick’s mother.
Lizzie Quinn
Patrick’s adopted sister.
Patrick (“Lucky”) Quinn
coming soon.
Ms. Allen
Charlie and Aaliyah’s grandmother, and Tamika’s mother in law.
Aaliyah Davis
Charlie’s older sister. Patrick has deep feelings for her and eventually asks her to date him before she leaves for Spelman College after graduation, but she turns him down.
Charlie Davis
Patrick’s childhood friend and Aaliyah’s younger brother. He and Patrick often sneak out to Theresa’s, and underground blues club a few blocks from their home. Not being a good student or interested in school, he joins the Army after graduation.
Tamika Davis
Charlie and Aaliyah’s mother and Ms. Allen’s daughter-in-law. When she became pregnant with Aaliyah, she quit her studies while her husband enlisted in the Army. With Ms. Allen’s blessing and support, she resumed her education and becomes a tenured faculty member at Spelman College in Atlanta.
Francis Herkosh
A friend of Gus’ at the machine shop, and fellow war veteran. In fact, his life was saved by Ms. Allen’s son during the battle of Anzio. On returning home after the war, his wife left him because she didn’t want to be married to “half a man.” Because of a felt obligation to Ms. Allen and her grandchildren, he has quietly checked in on them over the years and provided financial support before Tamika became a tenured faculty member at Spelman College.
Book 2 (Season 3 & 4)
Chicago & Naperville
1962 to 1964
Reverend Larsen
Pastor of First Congregation Church of Naperville.
April Larsen
The pastor’s daughter in Naperville.
Anne Larsen (née Thorsen)
Reverend Larsen’s wife and April’s mother. Originally from Anoka, Minnesota.
Richard (“Dick” & “The Vossman”) Voss
Basketball player at Naperville Central. He has a crush on April and bullies Patrick. As a starter on the varsity basketball team, he’s popular and knows it. More than a little full of himself, he radiates an arrogance which is matched by his complete lack of personality beyond that of being a “jock.”
Dave (“Fester”) Fessler
Dick’s friend and basketball teammate. FEster “rides the bench” and is happy to serve as “The Vossman’s” wing-man. He likewise bullies Patrick, taking his lead from Dick.
Mary Jean Fessler
April’s best friend and captain of the cheer-leading squad. Mary Jean will warn April that her “weird fascination” with the new kid will cause April to lose her popularity. And after April tells her that she has no interest in Dick, Mary Jean will agree to attend the prom as “The Vossman’s” date.
Mildred (“Millie”) Thorsen
Anne’s younger sister and April’s favorite Aunt who lives in Anoka, Minnesota. At the end of her junior year April will spend the summer with her aunt.
Book 3 (Season 5 & 6)
Chicago, Anoka, Naperville & Camp Radcliff
1964 to 1966
Clayton Bradford
Originally from Virginia, he’s a student of Columbia University and becomes April’s boyfriend.
Pvt. Cedric Wilson
A fellow “grunt” who bunks in “The Jungle” with Patrick and Charlie. He initially has “beef” with Patrick crashing in their tent, but changes his opinion of Patrick after Charlie shares about late night escapes to “Theresa’s” and how they got revenge on Dontrell.
Staff Sergeant (“Hero”) Taffe
The NCO commanding Patrick’s platoon. After getting to know Patrick, he’s convinced that “Lucky” is either crazy or bravest mother-fucker he’s ever met.
Tien Nguyen
A Vietnamese woman that Patrick meets outside of a village. He saves her from the massacre and escorts her and her twin daughters back to their hometown of Quy Nhon by the coast.
Tran Nguyen
One of Tien’s twin daughters. She will eventually make it to the United States and will settle in Houston with her adopted family. On marrying a young man who joins the Air Force, she will work in the “chow hall” at Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia.
Tam Nguyen
Tien’s other twin daughter. She will also settle in Houston with the same Christian family that adopted her sister. She will eventually get married as well and will settle in Lowell, MA where she runs a Vietnamese restaurant with her husband.
Book 4 (Season 7 & 8)
Naperville, Quy Nhon & Camp Radcliff
1966
Major Sparks
Sgt. Hero’s commanding officer, who gives the order to “clean up the mess” at the village.
Pierre Loubet
Tien’s husband and the father of her twin girls. Originally from France, his family settled in Quy Nhon during the late 1940s after World War II.
Book 1 (Season 1 & 2)
Dracut, Madras & Bombay
1984 to 1986*
Michael Bishop
Coming soon…
Gloria Bishop
Michael’s daughter. She does not want him taking his trip to India, but realizes that she can’t stop him from going.
Madhubala (“Bala”) Akkineni
Bala is a passenger on the flight to India, and prompts Michael to tell his story. Throughout their flight she asks questions, and will later come to realize that she is more connected to his story than either of them realized.
Samina Singh
Bollywood superstar actress.
Rajani Singh
Samina’s domineering mother, and her business manager.
Gary Lawson
Michael’s best friend in high school.
Ken Bishop
Coming soon…
Manish Chatterjee
A popular Bollywood actor, and Samina’s secret first husband.
Teena Shaw
Coming soon…
Norman Bishop
Michael and Ken’s father.
Lakshmi Singh
Samina’s sister.
Tran Nguyen
One of Tien’s twin daughters.
Book 2 (Season 3 & 4)
Utrecht, Decimomannu, Berlin & Bombay
1986 to 1989*
Willie Santiago
Coming soon…
Tom (“Mot”) Baillargeon
Coming soon…
Ronit Thakur
Bollywood movie producer.
Adil Thakur
Bollywood actor and younger brother of Ronit.
Gaines Taylor
Coming soon…
Susan Foley
Gary’s on again, off again girlfriend. Before Michael’s honorable discharge from the Air Force, Gary will talk with Sue about the possibility of hooking up with Michael when he returns to Dracut.
Book 3 (Season 5 & 6)
Dracut, London, Boston, St. Louis, NYC & Bombay
1990 to 1995*
Father Tom
A member of the community, and the priest in charge of the ministry in St. Louis.
Father Jim
A member of the community, and the priest in charge of Michael’s “formation.”
Pamela Johnson
She works for the church, pretty much keeping everything together.
Book 4 (Season 7 & 8)
NYC & Mumbai
1995 to 2018*
Jiya Thakur
Ronit and Samina’s daughter.
Rupa Akhter
Michael’s wife.
Adam Borkovsky
A friend of Michael’s originally from Poland.
George Zisu
A friend of Michael’s originally from Romania. He is studying to be a Romanian Orthodox priest and is already married to Alina.
Alina Zisu
George’s wife. Though Alina is also from Romania (Bucharest), they met at church in Queens. Prior to getting married to George, she was a very successful hair stylist in NYC. In fact, she paid off all of George’s debts prior to their marriage.
Mr. Blaivas
Michael’s boss at the Yeshiva.
Bipu Akhter
Rupa’s older sister.
Minu Akhter
Rupa and Bipu’s mother.
* Prior to November 1995, the city of Chennai was called Madras and the city of Mumbai was called Bombay. For the sake of accuracy, these historical names will be used depending on the timeline of the story.