Lenny is a young Parsee girl living in the wealthy outskirts of Lahore, India, in 1942. An early bout with polio leaves her needing a leg cast and brace, and her parents keep her out of formal schooling on her doctor's advice. Denied traditional education, she hungrily absorbs the world around her by observing adult conversations and interactions. Her limited physical mobility initially makes her world small, focusing her attention heavily on her household staff and family members.

An eighteen-year-old Hindu nanny whose real name is Shanta. She works for the Sethi family caring for Lenny and casually adapts her style of dress to whatever earns her the best wages. Highly beautiful and magnetic, she holds court in Queen's Park surrounded by a diverse, multi-religious group of suitors who temporarily set aside their political differences to spend time with her.

A Muslim vendor who earns his nickname by selling popsicles around Lahore. He frequently acts as a small-time con artist, peddling fake fertility pills or posing as a holy man to make extra money. He spends most of his afternoons trailing after Ayah and eagerly sharing the latest political gossip with her other admirers.

An older Parsee woman whose real name is Roda. She rarely leaves her home but wields an enormous amount of quiet influence throughout her community. She acts as a surrogate mother to Lenny, providing the child with a sense of security and narcotic-like comfort during painful medical recoveries.

Lenny's slightly older relative and frequent playmate. He considers himself worldly and takes it upon himself to instruct Lenny on physical sensations and sexuality, often crossing appropriate boundaries in the process. He treats Lenny as his student in the ways of adult life.

Lenny's younger brother. He is exceptionally beautiful, possessing light skin that earns him the privilege of playing with English children in the park. Unlike Lenny, he is permitted to attend formal schooling and frequently clashes with his sister in typical sibling rivalry.

The beautiful Parsee matriarch of the Sethi household. She feels a heavy burden of guilt over Lenny's polio and follows the doctor's instructions to massage the girl's leg with religious devotion. She manages the household staff and hosts frequent dinner parties with her husband.

The patriarch of the Sethi family. He provides a wealthy, comfortable lifestyle for his family in Lahore and enjoys entertaining diverse groups of friends with political jokes and dinner parties. He enforces discipline when his children misbehave but also engages in playful banter with his wife.

A young Muslim boy living in a rural village outside Lahore. He is approximately the same age as Lenny and provides her with her first understanding of how people outside her wealthy urban bubble live.

The 65-year-old cook for the Sethi family. He is a highly respected figure in his rural home village of Pir Pindo, which he visits by bicycle. He uses his position of respect to issue warnings to his relatives about the growing political unrest he hears about in Lahore.

One of Ayah's regular suitors. He uses his physical trade to romance Ayah, singing to her and competing with the other men who gather around her in the park.

A Pathan tribesman who works as a knife-sharpener in Lahore. He covers his face while working to avoid inhaling metal dust. He is deeply infatuated with Ayah and attempts to win her over by sharpening all the blades in the Sethi household and bringing her pistachios.

A local doctor who oversees Lenny's polio treatments. He is highly opinionated and blunt, outright dismissing the idea of schooling for Lenny and frequently using public gatherings to lecture his fellow Parsees on the necessity of staying politically neutral.

Godmother's sister and live-in caretaker, whose real name is Mini Aunty. She earns her nickname from Lenny due to the subservient way Godmother treats her, constantly fetching tea and enduring sharp criticism.

Lenny's energetic, widowed aunt. She maintains a busy household and acts as a close confidant and companion to Lenny's mother, often accompanying her on errands around the city.

The harsh housekeeper for the Sethi family. She is deeply abusive toward her young daughter and frequently loses her temper over minor infractions, demonstrating the normalized domestic violence in the background of Lenny's world.

Muccho's daughter, who is three years older than Lenny. Despite enduring constant, severe abuse from her mother, she maintains a bright and mischievous spirit, frequently joining in the servants' games and playing with the neighborhood children.

Godmother's stoic spouse. He generally remains quiet in the background of his wife's bustling social interactions, but occasionally surprises those around him with sudden outbursts or thoughtful gestures.

Godmother's brother-in-law, who visits Lahore occasionally. He is a doctor who enjoys playfully teasing the children and joining Godmother in mocking Slavesister, adding to the loud, boisterous atmosphere of their family gatherings.

The Hindu gardener for the Sethi family. He is frequently the target of roughhousing by the other household staff, which gradually shifts from a game into something more threatening as political tensions rise.

The daughter of the Sethis' Sikh and American neighbors. She considers herself highly knowledgeable about adult matters and owns a set of crystal jars that Lenny intensely covets.

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Singh. He frequently joins his sister in playing with Lenny and Adi during neighborhood gatherings.

An Englishman serving as the Inspector General of Police. His presence at the dinner party sparks a heated and nearly violent argument regarding the British withdrawal from India and the subsequent power vacuum.

Ranna's father, residing in the rural village of Pir Pindo. He relies on visiting relatives like Imam Din for news of the political unrest growing in the larger cities.