The Life Before Us characters

Also known as Mohammed

Appears from the start

A boy of North African parentage who narrates his life in Belleville with a mixture of innocence, observation, and deliberately improvised logic. Known as Momo, he has been raised by Madame Rosa among the children of sex workers and is fiercely attached to her despite his fear that she will die.

Appears from the start

An elderly Jewish woman, former sex worker, and survivor of Auschwitz who cares for other sex workers' children in her cramped sixth-floor apartment. Her health is failing, and memories of wartime persecution shape both her fears and the hidden refuge she keeps in the cellar.

First appears in chapter 2

An elderly Muslim carpet seller whom Momo visits for conversation. Monsieur Hamil is losing his sight and sometimes his memory, but he offers the boy affection, stories, and a religious perspective on love and endurance.

First appears in chapter 4

A compassionate physician who attends Madame Rosa and knows that her age and declining health limit what medicine can do. Momo turns to him for explanations while also resisting any plan that would separate Rosa from home.

First appears in chapter 5

A warm, imposing transgender woman from Senegal who once boxed and now works as a prostitute. Lola brings money, food, practical help, and reassurance to Madame Rosa's household, becoming one of Momo's most dependable adult friends.

First appears in chapter 8

A Nigerian man whose business and personal difficulties are expressed in ceremonious visits to Madame Rosa's apartment. His presence connects the household to Belleville's wider immigrant community.

First appears in chapter 16

A film editor whom Momo meets after following her in the street. Nadine responds to his loneliness with patience rather than alarm and allows him to see the unusual work of assembling film scenes.

First appears in chapter 18

Nadine's husband, a man whose professional experience with children helps him meet Momo without treating the boy's guarded behavior as simply a problem.

Also known as Monsieur Kadir

First appears in chapter 23

A distressed and mentally fragile man who arrives claiming to be Momo's father. He presses Madame Rosa for information about the child he left in her care years earlier.