Salva is an 11-year-old Dinka boy from a successful family in Southern Sudan. When armed conflict forces him to flee into the bush, he becomes separated from his relatives and joins a large group of displaced people escaping the Second Sudanese Civil War. He pays close attention to his surroundings and relies heavily on his memories of home to maintain his hope during the grueling journey.

Nya is an 11-year-old Nuer girl living in Southern Sudan in 2008. Her daily life revolves entirely around the physical labor of walking eight hours to retrieve muddy water from a pond for her household. She bears the intense heat and physical pain—like stepping on thorns—to ensure her relatives survive the arid environment.

Uncle Jewiir is Salva's relative and a former soldier in the rebel army. Armed with a gun and military experience, he naturally assumes a leadership role among the displaced travelers. He acts as a guardian figure, using his hunting skills to shoot antelopes for food and his authority to organize the group's movements through dangerous territory.

Marial is a young boy of the Dinka tribe who speaks with a different regional accent than Salva. As an unaccompanied child fleeing the war, he bonds quickly with Salva over their shared displacement and longing for their parents.

Mawien Dut Ariik is Salva's father, a successful and respected man in their Dinka village. He owns cattle and provides a comfortable life for his family before the war disrupts their community, serving as a primary source of motivation for Salva to survive.

Salva's mother manages the domestic life in their Dinka village. Before the conflict, she provides daily comfort to her children, giving Salva milk to tide him over until the evening meal. Salva frequently searches crowds of refugees hoping to spot her distinctive orange scarf.

Akeer is Nya's five-year-old sister. Because she is young and small, she struggles to keep up with the physical demands of fetching water, making her highly vulnerable to the harsh environment and the stomach cramps caused by water-borne illnesses.

Dep is Nya's older brother. He pays close attention to the developments in their village and helps explain the complex drilling and construction processes to Nya when outside workers arrive.

Nya's mother manages the family's domestic life in an environment defined by extreme scarcity. She strongly dislikes the dry season, as the family must move to a temporary camp where she constantly fears for her husband's safety during his hunts.

Nya's father is a Nuer man who moves his household to a nearly dry lakebed during the arid months. He hunts to keep them alive, a task that places him in direct danger of conflict with rival Dinka tribesmen who also use the land.

Nya's uncle serves as the chief of their Nuer village. He holds the authority to meet with outsiders, discuss the village's water issues, and make administrative decisions regarding their land.

An older woman living alone whose facial ritual scarring identifies her as a member of the Dinka tribe. She offers Salva temporary shelter on her property and feeds him raw peanuts, but eventually must leave him behind to secure her own safety when relocating to a winter village.

Michael is an aid worker stationed at a refugee camp in Kenya. He takes a personal interest in Salva, teaching the young man how to read and write the English alphabet and showing him how to play volleyball, which provides a valuable distraction from camp life.

Louise is Salva's adoptive American mother. She meets him at the airport equipped with a big puffy coat, scarves, and a hat, helping him transition to the freezing winter climate of Rochester, New York.

A young refugee from the Jur-chol tribe traveling with the displaced group. He uses his traditional knowledge of the honeyguide bird to locate a beehive, providing a rare and much-needed feast for the starving travelers.

Salva's teacher conducts lessons in the Dinka village school. When gunfire suddenly erupts outside, he urgently instructs the students to run into the bush rather than returning home, correctly assessing that the village is the primary target of the attack.