Totally True Love

Anne is a ten-year-old who stands out by dressing as a soldier rather than a princess. She is cautious about romance, skeptical of rumors, and thoughtful about how others are affected by gossip. Throughout the story, she learns to navigate friendship, curiosity, and responsibility, especially when secrets and consequences surface.

Beate is Anne's warm-hearted, curious friend who balances affection with a sharp eye for social dynamics. She brings optimism and a belief in love, using her social savvy to uncover secrets and guide her friend through rumor-filled days. Her influence helps Anne question gossip and seek genuine understanding.

Jørgen is the quiet, warm-hearted boy who becomes the focus of Anne's shifting feelings. He is kind and thoughtful, with a subtle depth revealed through his interactions and the warmth shown in his photo album. He navigates the social currents as gossip swirls around him.

Ellen is the popular girl who tries to control the narrative and uses others to advance her position. She is strategic and ambitious, sometimes cruel in pursuit of status, yet her actions trigger the diary and truth-forced confrontations that test the girls' friendships.

Helga is the girl whose disappearance rumor haunts the town; though she is not physically present, her legacy drives gossip and shapes the community’s fear and curiosity. The tale reframes Helga from a looming tragedy to resilience and memory, showing how rumors distort memory.

Beate's Grandmother offers perspective and frames the past in a kinder light; she helps reinterpret Helga's fate and the town's memory. She acts as a stabilizing influence, reminding the girls that mistakes do not define who you are.

Anne's mother provides quiet support and helps anchor her daughter through a tense social period; the mother-daughter talk is a turning point that encourages empathy and resilience.

Knut is Beate's friend who reveals his own crush on Ellen during the party, adding a layer of romantic rivalry to the group dynamic.

Luca is a young boy who appears in the social dynamics of the story, contributing to the crowd’s mix of friendships and crushes.

Helga's Father is tied to the town's long-running rumor about Helga; his family history shapes how people remember the past and interpret the events around Helga’s fate.