Klara Novak is a capable new saleswoman who seeks work at Hugo's leathergoods shop and earns a position by successfully selling a cigarette box as a candy box. She initially clashes with Alfred, while secretly being his anonymous, cultured correspondent. After a painful misunderstanding, their mutual attraction is finally revealed.
An impoverished aristocrat who falls in love with Erich despite class differences. She suffers from tuberculosis, marries Erich, and endures a sanitarium stay and risky surgery. Her illness ultimately leads to her fatal collapse on a balcony.
Daughter of Professor Roth and initially engaged to Fritz. She rejects Nazi ideology, falls in love with Martin, and helps Professor Werner escape to Austria. While attempting to flee Germany with her father's manuscript, she is shot by a Nazi ski patrol and dies in Martin's arms.
Valette is a young woman of the Bedford family who lives at Portobello and is deeply in love with her older cousin, Duncan. She protects her family home during the war, intervenes when Cato leads a revolt, and risks herself to save a wounded Union boy before being tearfully reunited with Duncan after the war.
Hans's newly married wife, she shares his hopes for a fairer life while facing the couple's financial hardship. She insists that they keep their promise to hide no secrets, listens as Hans explains his employer's scheme, and later refuses to accept Holgar's help directly, worrying that Hans may object to his gifts.
Mary is a wife and mother who learns that she has terminal cancer and only months to live. She keeps the diagnosis secret from Brad and Polly, tries to make her remaining time meaningful, and ultimately helps prepare her family for life without her. Her love for Brad and Polly shapes her decisions, including encouraging Chris to stay with them.
Ruth Holland is a Jewish German exile whom Ludwig meets in Prague. Unable to continue her studies without a passport, she follows him toward France and refuses Durant’s marriage proposal because she loves Ludwig. She later devises a scheme involving Durant’s family to secure Ludwig’s release.
Daisy Heath is a sophisticated Broadway musical theatre star whose limousine accidentally knocks down Pvt. William 'Texas' Pettigrew. She pretends to be his girlfriend, gradually warms to him, and accepts marriage before his deployment. After learning of his death, she bravely finishes her performance despite her grief.
Luisa is a young woman raised in a municipal orphanage who works as an usherette in a Budapest movie palace. Guided by Doctor Schultz's advice to perform a good deed each day, she invents a husband to escape Joe, then tries to protect Doctor Sporum by linking him to Konrad. Her innocence and goodwill drive the entire story.
Central protagonist who had an affair with James during WWI. She secretly raises their son, Jimmy Jr., alone, becomes a successful shop owner, and turns down multiple proposals from suitor Dave Reynolds. After reuniting with James on New Year's Eve 1929, she dies of heart trouble and leaves a letter asking James to become Jimmy Jr.'s parent.
Head nurse at the Bataan field hospital, Lieutenant Mary “Smitty” Smith works alongside Captain Marsh to care for wounded soldiers amid shortages and constant attacks. She reprimands Pat for ignoring regulations, while concealing that she married Lieutenant Holt before the invasion. Suffering from malignant malaria, she stays near her husband rather than evacuating.
An independent young woman and talented dress designer from Cincinnati who passionately loves Walter Saxel. She sacrifices her career to become his secret mistress, enduring years of social stigma and emotional hardship with patience. She briefly agrees to marry another suitor but returns to Walter, ultimately dying of illness in Europe while gazing at his photograph.
Margaret Sullavan has 21 screen credits in a career dating back to 1933. Signature works include The Shop Around the Corner, No Sad Songs for Me, The Mortal Storm. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
