Saboor's ten-year-old son from Shadbagh. Following the loss of his mother, he adopts an intensely protective, parental role over his younger sister, Pari. He is observant and sensitive, often questioning the harsh realities of his family's poverty.

Saboor's young daughter and Abdullah's beloved sibling. She is a cheerful child with a habit of collecting bright feathers found on the ground. Her life fundamentally changes when she is separated from her family, instilling a lingering sense of absence as she matures.

A poor laborer struggling to feed his family in a desolate village. He is a hardened survivor who carries the heavy burden of losing an infant son to the winter cold. Though emotionally closed off from his children, he possesses a remarkable talent for storytelling.

Parwana's older brother who works as a chauffeur and cook for the wealthy Wahdati family. Intrigued by his employer's wife, he sets in motion an arrangement that connects his rural relatives to his urban employers. He later assumes a long-term caregiving role.

The glamorous, poetry-writing wife of Suleiman Wahdati. Unconventional and unhappy in her marriage, she chafes against the conservative expectations of women in Kabul. She is drawn to young Pari, hoping to fill a profound emptiness in her own life.

Saboor's second wife and the stepmother to Abdullah and Pari. She lives in the shadow of her beautiful twin sister and struggles with deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. She works hard to maintain the household but harbors complex resentments regarding her place in the family.

Parwana's twin sister. Once celebrated for her beauty and beloved by everyone in the village, she is now paralyzed following a fall from an oak tree. She is completely dependent on her sister for basic survival.

A wealthy, quiet man living in Kabul. He has a solitary nature and spends much of his time painting in his study. His marriage is distinctly devoid of passion, leading him to rely heavily on his servant Nabi to manage his daily life.

Abdullah's daughter, raised in the United States. She grows up acutely aware of the deep void left by her father's lost sister, feeling as though she must live up to the name she was given. She serves as her parents' primary caregiver as they age.

A Greek doctor who travels the world providing medical aid to those with facial deformities. He rents a room from an elderly Nabi in Kabul and becomes the custodian of Nabi's final wishes, serving as a crucial link between the past and present.

An Afghan-American doctor who returns to Kabul to reclaim family property. He feels disconnected from his homeland and struggles with feelings of guilt when confronted with the immense suffering of the local population.

A charismatic, successful car salesman who returns to Kabul with his cousin. He possesses an outgoing, sometimes abrasive personality, but his loud outward actions often mask a highly pragmatic approach to helping others.

A young girl who survives a horrific attack over a land dispute. She receives care from foreign doctors and aid workers, maintaining hope despite the severe trauma she has endured.

A dedicated aid worker and nurse at a Kabul hospital. She works tirelessly to help victims of violence and serves as a vocal advocate for her patients, completely unfazed by the grim reality of her surroundings.

A wealthy former commander who has built an expansive compound over Old Shadbagh. He presents himself as a philanthropic benefactor to the village, though his wealth and land acquisition stem from violent means.

The young, sheltered son of Baba-jan. He lives a life of luxury behind the high walls of his father's compound, idolizing his father while remaining completely ignorant of the violent realities surrounding his family's wealth.

A young boy raised in a Pakistani refugee camp who returns to Afghanistan. He is street-smart, outspoken, and fiercely aware of the injustices his family has faced regarding their ancestral land.

The half-brother of Abdullah and Pari. He spends years in a refugee camp before returning to Shadbagh to claim his family's ancestral land, only to find it taken by a powerful warlord.

A young girl who suffers severe facial scarring. Abandoned by her actress mother, she moves in with Markos and his mother, initially hiding her face out of profound shame before slowly finding acceptance.

An aspiring actress and the mother of Thalia. She is self-absorbed and constantly chasing fame, viewing her daughter's disfigurement as a personal inconvenience.

Markos's mother, living on the Greek island of Tinos. She is a strict, emotionally austere woman who steps up to raise Thalia when her own mother abandons her.

A poor farmer in the desolate village of Maidan Sabz who features in a fable told by Saboor. He is forced to make an impossible choice when a monstrous creature demands one of his children.

The beloved youngest son of Baba Ayub in the fable. He has a tendency to sleepwalk and wears a small bell, eventually becoming the child chosen as a sacrifice to a monstrous creature.

A French man who becomes romantically involved with both Nila and, later, her daughter Pari. He acts as a catalyst for tension between the two women.