Rahmat is Zorah’s father. He is a major character of interest in the investigation surrounding Zorah’s death, though Sabit plays with his characterization to drive ambiguity around his possible antagonism. Prior to Zorah’s death, Rahmat’s storyline represents the accessibility of the “American dream.” His business success is direct evidence of the promise that anyone can come to the US and make a better life for themselves. However, the events following Zorah’s death challenge this premise by exposing The Xenophobia of American Culture.

As with Zorah and the other Sharaf family members, much of what the novel reveals about Rahmat comes from the accounts of his peers in the Afghan American community, which heightens the ambiguity surrounding his character’s role in the narrative. Rahmat is characterized as an ambitious but stubborn entrepreneur whose sense of entitlement alienates him from much of the Afghan American community. For instance, his peers in Virginia cite his tendency to reject their advice while also seeking their financial investment for his business opportunities. Initially, Rahmat is an object of ridicule, but when he becomes successful, he elicits both respect and envy; Rahmat’s peers explain away his success by attributing it to causes other than his business acumen, from divine providence to his assimilation into American culture.

This question of assimilation is another point of ambiguity in Rahmat’s characterization. His insistence on owning a house in the exclusive neighborhood of Riverside suggests his stubbornness but also his desire to belong to the upper echelons of American society. However, the limits of his desire to fit in surface in his relationship with Zorah. Rahmat’s stubbornness clashes against Zorah’s autonomy as she begins to harbor life aspirations that differ from Rahmat’s expectations of her; he even makes the drastic claim that he will kill Zorah himself, although other characters explain this away as a colloquialism.

After Zorah dies and the investigation into her death is reopened, Rahmat disappears as an individual character, replaced by speculation on various sides. As head of the Sharaf family, he is presumably the one who speaks for the family at the end of the novel, signaling his continued grief over the loss of Zorah, but his relative absence late in the novel illustrates how thoroughly public opinion now drives the narrative surrounding Zorah’s death.

Maryam is Zorah’s mother. She plays a supporting role both in the narrative and in her own family, as she acts almost entirely in service to her family’s needs. Maryam is a housewife who tirelessly devotes herself to the maintenance of her household, at one point drawing the ire of her close cousin, Sara, who criticizes her for her unrelenting work ethic.

Based on her education and polite manners, those who know Maryam suggest that she came from a rich family. Wartime social conditions in Afghanistan allowed Rahmat, a working-class man, to cross class boundaries and marry Maryam. She shows unwavering loyalty to Rahmat, defending him despite his own perceived lack of manners, which often embarrasses Maryam’s peers. Since Rahmat is frequently away from home on business, Maryam manages many of the household affairs; she tries not to involve Rahmat when she finds out that Zorah is in a secret relationship with Sahil. When Zorah’s resistance becomes too overwhelming for her to handle, Maryam eventually relies on Rahmat to manage the issue.

Though some people suspect Maryam of being involved in the alleged plot to kill Zorah, very few of her peers find this theory credible because of Maryam’s nonviolent character and her devotion to Zorah, which become especially evident during and after her burial.

Omer is Zorah’s older brother and a supporting character whose behavior is taken as evidence of the Sharaf family’s abuse and potential murder of Zorah. As an adult, Omer is characterized as a moody outsider who is prone to displays of temper. This becomes especially evident when he pushes a cameraman to the ground outside the house, upset with the media frenzy and harassment. Later, the news uses the incident to claim that Omer has a violent nature, deepening suspicions regarding his role in Zorah’s death.

Elsewhere, the relationship between Omer and Zorah is depicted as being generally loving. Throughout their lives, Omer is extremely protective of Zorah. His willingness to follow her as an adult to see if she’s lying to their parents about her whereabouts is an extension of this protectiveness, though one that reveals how Omer’s love for her might coincide with a lack of respect for her autonomy.

Omer’s decision to work in car sales instead of going to college contributes to Rahmat’s emotional attachment to his ambitions for Zorah. Because Omer can’t fulfill Rahmat’s aspirations for him, Rahmat clings to his dream of Zorah becoming a Supreme Court justice to signify his success in the US. When Zorah declares her intention to become a makeup artist instead, Rahmat blames Omer for influencing his sister.

Sayed is a minor supporting character who actively encourages the theory that the Sharaf family killed Zorah. Initially, Sayed’s voice is framed as the one member of the Afghan American community who can speak to Rahmat’s potential villainy. However, the novel reveals that Sayed is biased against Rahmat due to envy. His antagonism deepens when Rahmat embarrasses Sayed by publicly rejecting his proposal to marry his son to Zorah. Initially, Sayed’s embarrassment draws the sympathy of their peers. However, when Sayed claims that Rahmat announced his intention to kill Zorah, the Afghan American community turns on Sayed, ostracizing him for betraying one of their own for the sake of personal vindication.

Sahil is a minor supporting character who functions as a romantic interest for Zorah. It is never disclosed how Zorah and Sahil meet, but their relationship poses a threat to the Sharaf family’s reputation, as it represents Zorah’s rebellion against her parents’ authority and Afghan cultural identity.

Sahil is an undocumented immigrant and works multiple jobs to pay rent, though he is said to be lax about his duties, according to a former employer. It is suggested that his neighbors’ complaints against Zorah, which threaten his residency at his apartment complex, contribute to Zorah’s eventual decision to return to her family.