Raami is the seven-year-old daughter of a minor Cambodian prince and a poet. She suffers from the lingering effects of childhood polio, which initially requires her to wear a leg brace. Deeply influenced by her father, she views the chaotic events of the forced evacuation through the lens of ancient Cambodian folklore and myths. As the regime forces her family out of the city, she struggles to comprehend the violence around her while holding onto her father's teachings for comfort.

Aana, referred to as Mama, is Raami's beautiful and pragmatic mother. Having grown up in a farming family before marrying into royalty, she possesses practical skills that become crucial when the regime forces the urban population into rural labor districts. Unlike her husband, she relies entirely on reality and immediate action rather than stories to endure the harsh conditions of the evacuation. She aggressively works to protect her children by shedding her upper-class identity and adopting the habits of peasant farmers.

Ayuravann is a poet and a minor Cambodian prince who goes by Papa to his daughters. Educated in France, he initially sympathizes with the egalitarian ideals of the revolutionaries, though he quickly realizes the immediate danger they pose to his family. As a high-profile target of the new regime, he assumes the false identity of a mango grower to protect his loved ones during their forced relocation. He relies heavily on poetry, literature, and Buddhist parables to soothe his daughter and make sense of their rapidly deteriorating world.

Arun, known to Raami as Big Uncle, is Papa's brother. He brings his wife and twin sons to join the rest of the extended family as they flee Phnom Penh. Highly pragmatic and openly cynical, he dismisses the idealistic rhetoric of the regime and immediately recognizes the extreme danger his family faces. He acts as a grounded counterweight to his brother, strategizing constantly on how to avoid the attention of the hostile soldiers.

Grandmother Queen is the elderly matriarch of the family, mother to Papa, Big Uncle, and Tata. She suffers from worsening dementia, which causes her to speak in fragmented, ghostly observations that deeply affect young Raami. Despite her physical frailty and cognitive decline, she remains a revered figure within the family. Her presence requires constant accommodation from her sons as they are forced to march into the rural countryside.

Radana is Raami's toddler sister. She is highly vulnerable to the harsh elements, insect bites, and physical demands of the forced marches. Because of her young age, she communicates mostly in short sounds and declarative words, completely unaware of the political disaster unfolding around her. Her fragility becomes a primary concern for Mama, who focuses immense energy on keeping her safe and nourished.

Pok and Mae are an elderly, childless peasant couple who live in a rural farming community. They represent the agrarian class that the new government aggressively promotes in its propaganda. Despite the harsh political climate, they are warm and generous, eagerly sharing their knowledge of the land and their limited resources with the displaced royal family. Pok takes an active role in teaching Raami how to survive the local environment, while Mae finds joy in simply having children in her home.

Tata is the sister of Papa and Big Uncle. She lives at the large family compound and experiences the initial shock of the city-wide evacuation firsthand. She struggles to process the loss of her privileged life and relies heavily on her brothers for direction as the family is pushed into the countryside.

Auntie India is Big Uncle's wife. She is suddenly forced from her comfortable life and thrust into the chaotic, dangerous evacuation of the capital. She focuses entirely on the survival of her young twin boys, reacting with high emotion when family members draw unwanted attention from the authorities.

Sotanavong is one of Big Uncle and Auntie India's four-year-old twin sons. He is forced to endure the frightening, exhausting journey out of the city and into the rural labor districts alongside his extended family.

Satiyavong is one of Big Uncle and Auntie India's four-year-old twin sons. He is forced to endure the frightening, exhausting journey out of the city and into the rural labor districts alongside his extended family.

Om Bao is a servant who works at the family's large estate in Phnom Penh. Her sudden disappearance serves as an early, ominous warning to the family that the civil war has breached the city limits, shattering their sense of security.

Old Boy is a loyal servant working for Raami's family in Phnom Penh. He provides assistance to the family in the days leading up to the government's collapse and is deeply affected by the loss of his romantic partner in the city's crossfire.

Milk Mother is part of the domestic staff at the family estate in Phnom Penh. As the political situation rapidly deteriorates, Mama instructs her to return to her own relatives, highlighting the dissolution of the family's privileged household.

Mr. Virak is a former student of Papa's who is evacuated to the same rural temple complex as the family. He brings terrifying eyewitness accounts of the destruction in the capital, confirming that the family will not be able to return home. He travels with his wife and a fragile two-month-old infant.

Bong Sok is a local leader for the new government in the Stung Khae region. He enforces the organization's strict rules regarding communal property and food rations. He wields significant power over the displaced urbanites and heavily scrutinizes anyone suspected of having an educated or wealthy background.

The Fat One is the wife of a local political leader, Bong Sok, and serves on the community's burial committee. She holds a deep, personal grudge against former members of the upper class. She frequently targets Mama, mocking her delicate hands and attempting to humiliate her at every opportunity.

Comrade Keng is an official stationed in Ksach. Unlike many of the extreme hardliners, he represents a more moderate faction of the revolutionary organization. He allows the village to maintain a small degree of normalcy and fairness, which provides the family with a brief respite from the harsh labor camps.

Chae Bui is the wife of Comrade Keng. She is friendly and accommodating, offering the displaced family a sense of community that they have not experienced since leaving the capital. She openly shares information about the political dynamics within the village.

Mui is the young daughter of Comrade Keng and Chae Bui. She represents the innocence of the children caught up in the shifting political tides of the rural villages, living a relatively stable life until hardliners take control.

Mouk is a fearsome revolutionary soldier who violently takes over the local schoolhouse. He demonstrates the regime's intense hatred for traditional education by smashing a chair and dismissing the students, insisting that destruction is a valid form of progress.