Nima is a Sudanese-American teenager living with her immigrant mother. She feels deeply disconnected from both her American peers and her local diasporic community. Harboring a sense of inadequacy about her name, which translates to grace, she frequently imagines an alternate version of herself. She relies on nostalgia for a homeland she has never visited, immersing herself in traditional music and films to cope with her isolation.

Yasmeen is a spirit or jinni who appears as the girl Nima imagines she could have been. Beautiful and socially confident, Yasmeen embodies the idealized traits that Nima feels she lacks. As a magical presence, she acts as a mirror for Nima's deepest insecurities and desires.

Haitham is Nima's closest companion and the son of Hala. Unlike Nima, he is highly social, finding acceptance easily among his American classmates and his Sudanese heritage. Despite their contrasting personalities, he remains fiercely protective of Nima when she faces prejudice.

Aisha is Nima's hardworking mother, a Sudanese immigrant raising her daughter alone. She carries a heavy burden of exhaustion and grief, though glimpses of her former vivacity shine through her love of traditional dance. She protects Nima fiercely and tries to instill pride in their cultural identity against outside hostility.

Hala, often called Khaltu Hala by Nima, is a single mother who immigrated to the United States. She serves as Aisha's closest confidante and treats Nima like family. She projects confidence, though she carries painful physical and emotional scars from her past in Sudan.

Mama Fatheya is Hala's mother and provides a direct link to the family's past. She holds deep knowledge of traditional beliefs, including the existence of jinn. Though she respects her culture, she views excessive nostalgia as a dangerous condition due to the harsh realities of their homeland.

Ahmed is Nima's father, who died in a car accident in Sudan before Nima was born. He exists in the present primarily through photographs and his daughter's idealized imagination. Nima often envisions him as a perfect figure, using his memory as a comfort against her daily isolation.

Ashraf is a man from Sudan's past with ties to Nima's extended social circle. He is married and has a family of his own, though his presence in the memories of Nima's elders hints at a complicated personal history.

Jazz, whose full name is Jazzy, is a new arrival in Nima and Haitham's class. She shares their sense of humor and quickly integrates into their friend group. She shows a surprising appreciation for the same traditional music that Nima loves.

Khaltu Amal is a guest of Nima's mother and a member of the local Sudanese diaspora community. She is occasionally critical of others, having openly scorned Nima's name and appearance, which feeds into the young girl's insecurities.