Parvana is an 11-year-old girl living in a single-room apartment in Kabul under restrictive laws. She assists her disabled father at his market stall before taking on the burden of providing for her entire family. Disguising herself as a boy in her deceased brother's clothes, she works in the local market to purchase food and supplies. She relies on her education and inner courage to survive the heavily policed streets.

A university-educated intellectual and former teacher who lost part of his leg when his school was bombed. He reads and writes letters at the market to earn a meager income. He refuses to leave Afghanistan, choosing instead to educate his daughters at home and tell them stories of local history.

A highly educated former writer for a Kabul radio station. The strict laws dictating female behavior have stripped her of her career, confining her strictly indoors. She suffers from deep depression following her husband's arrest and the ongoing loss of her former life.

A former classmate of Parvana who also disguises herself as a boy to work in the market. Operating under an assumed name, she works as a tea boy to support her unhappy household. She teams up with Parvana to start a portable trading business and constantly schemes to save enough money to escape her bleak living conditions.

A former physical education teacher and competitive track athlete who steps in to assist Parvana's household during a crisis. She possesses a practical, determined personality and refuses to succumb to despair. She organizes secret educational and publishing projects to empower the local women.

Parvana's 17-year-old sister who clearly remembers the city before its destruction. Confinement to the small apartment leaves her frustrated, and she frequently argues with Parvana over household chores. She dreams of moving to a safer region where she can study to become a teacher.

Parvana's five-year-old younger sister. She spends her entire life inside the family's tiny apartment due to the strict gender laws. She relies entirely on her older siblings and parents for entertainment and daily care.

Parvana's two-year-old younger brother. He requires constant care and feeding within the restrictive confines of the family's single room.

Parvana's deceased eldest brother. He died from a land mine explosion at age 14 prior to the main events of the story. His preserved clothing provides the crucial disguise Parvana needs to safely enter the public market.

A traumatized young girl who hides in the dark streets without a proper head covering. She relies entirely on the kindness of strangers for basic survival after escaping sudden violence in her hometown.

An unnamed resident who lives behind a blacked-out window directly above Parvana's market spot. She creates a silent bond with the young worker by occasionally dropping small gifts down to the street.