Nidali is a young girl of Palestinian, Egyptian, and Greek descent growing up in Kuwait. She attempts to balance her growing independence with the strict expectations of her father. She frequently retreats into her imagination, using school and storytelling as escapes from the turbulence of her family life.

Mama is an Egyptian former pianist turned housewife. She possesses a glamorous, defiant spirit that clashes with her husband's demands for traditional domesticity. Her longing to reconnect with her music causes significant friction in the household, leading to intense marital arguments.

Baba is a Palestinian poet turned architect who moves his family to Kuwait for work. He carries the heavy burden of his displacement, placing intense pressure on his children to achieve academic perfection. His frustration frequently manifests as physical abuse and authoritarian control over his household.

Gamal is Nidali's younger brother. As a boy, he avoids some of the gender-specific scrutiny placed on his sister, though he shares the trauma of growing up in a turbulent household. He eventually develops his own forms of quiet defiance.

Fakhr is a curly-haired boy of Egyptian descent whom Nidali meets at school in Kuwait. He initially hides his interest behind sarcasm and offensive remarks. He provides Nidali with a distraction from her strict home life.

Esam is Nidali's eighteen-year-old cousin. He holds strict, conservative religious beliefs that immediately clash with Nidali's interests. He destroys her belongings because he deems them un-Islamic, highlighting the cultural divides within the extended family.

Geddo is Nidali's Egyptian grandfather. He lives in Alexandria and holds traditional views on gender, such as refusing to call out a woman's name in public. He later suffers from health issues that require care from the family.

Aunt Sonya is Mama's sister who lives in Egypt. She prepares for her marriage in a beachside neighborhood, providing the occasion for the family's summer visit to Alexandria.

Layla is Nidali's older cousin in Egypt. She possesses more knowledge about biology and adult relationships, which she frankly shares with a confused and slightly disgusted Nidali during a family wedding.

Sitto is Baba's mother. She is an illiterate woman who commands respect through her exceptional storytelling abilities, passing down folk tales while cooking for her family in Palestine.

Rama is a new student from Sudan who attends the English school in Kuwait. She encourages Nidali to interact with boys and shares a brief moment of physical intimacy with her before the war forces them apart.

Linda is a Kurdish, Christian student in Kuwait and one of Nidali's early friends. She listens to music with Nidali before her family is forced to flee to Saudi Arabia due to regional conflicts.

Jiji is an Egyptian classmate who becomes close friends with Nidali. She allows Nidali to practice kissing with her in secret, providing Nidali with a brief moment of comfort.

Aunt Naila is a relative who travels with the family as they escape the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Her careless disposal of a match causes her car to catch fire on the side of the road.

Dimi is an American high school student who befriends Nidali. She corrects Nidali's formal English and introduces her to American teenage culture.

Camilla is an American high school student. She helps integrate Nidali into the local school culture and participates in shopping trips with Nidali and Mama.

Omar Medina is an American high school student recovering from a recent breakup. He sits next to Nidali in pre-calculus and becomes the subject of her teenage infatuation as she adjusts to life in Texas.

Ms. Quiff is a high school college counselor. She helps Nidali look at colleges and provides resources for out-of-state programs despite Baba's strict geographical limits.