A young Afghan girl from a rural village. Because her parents have no sons, she is temporarily transformed into a bacha posh, living and dressing as a boy named Rahim. This disguise affords her the freedom to play sports, attend school with boys, and run errands in the market. When she reaches puberty, her father abruptly ends this freedom by arranging her marriage to a powerful warlord, forcing her to rapidly unlearn her masculine habits.

Rahima's great-great-grandmother, whose name means "gift." She suffers severe facial scarring from a boiling oil spill at age two, leading her extended family to treat her as a cursed outcast. After losing her immediate family to illness, she manages her father's farmland alone until her extended family claims the property and uses her as a servant to settle a debt. She eventually finds herself dressing as a man to guard the royal harem.

Raisa's older sister. Born with a severe spinal curvature, she remains unmarried and independent of a husband's control. She acts as a storyteller for her nieces, passing down the history of Shekiba to give them a sense of heritage and mental fortitude. She speaks bluntly and frequently relies on Afghan folk proverbs to make her points.

A wealthy, middle-aged warlord who controls local security forces and an oil pipeline. He marries Rahima out of a fascination with her previous life as a bacha posh, but he quickly demands strict, traditional obedience from her. He rules his large compound with absolute authority and a quick temper.

The mother of five girls. She struggles to manage her household while dealing with her husband's drug addiction and volatile temper. She initially supports the idea of making Rahima a bacha posh to gain a "son" who can run errands and ease her domestic burdens.

Rahima's father. He is an opium-addicted former soldier who suffers from trauma and a volatile temper. Deeply frustrated by having only daughters, he abruptly sells his three eldest girls into marriage to secure a large bride price and a steady supply of narcotics from a local warlord.

Rahima's oldest sister. She is highly focused on proper behavior and attempts to avoid drawing their father's wrath. Following the family's financial desperation, she is arranged to marry Abdul Sharif, one of Abdul Khaliq's cousins.

Rahima's older sister. Born with a bad hip, she walks with a noticeable limp. Despite her physical challenges, she possesses artistic talent and a very quiet, meek demeanor. Like her sisters, she is forced into an early marriage with one of Abdul Khaliq's relatives.

Abdul Khaliq's mother and the imposing matriarch of his compound. Embittered by her own past experiences with a cruel mother-in-law, she governs her son's wives with harsh criticism, strict rules, and a complete lack of sympathy. She actively seeks out flaws in Rahima's domestic skills.

An educated assistant to a vizier and a close friend of Prince Amanullah. He moves through the dangerous politics of the royal court while maintaining covert ties to his village past. He strikes up a careful conversation with Shekiba regarding her background.

A remarkably beautiful concubine who formerly served as a guard before catching the king's attention. Despite her privileged position in the harem, she harbors dangerous secrets regarding a man sneaking into the women's quarters at night.

Shekiba's grandmother. She refuses to check on her son Ismail for years but swoops in after his death to seize his fertile land. She blames Shekiba for the family's misfortune and hands her over to a local merchant to clear a financial debt.

A wealthy, respected businessman in Shekiba's town. He accepts Shekiba into his household as a servant but treats her brutally when she acts out of turn, eventually sending her away to protect his reputation.

Azizullah's wife. She oversees Shekiba's domestic chores and eventually asks her husband to remove the scarred girl from the house, fearing Shekiba will bring a curse or scandal upon her family.

Azizullah's brother. He leverages his friendship with King Habibullah to secure political favors, offering Shekiba to the palace to serve as a female guard dressed as a man.

The commanding officer of the women-men who guard the king's harem. Originally named Guljaan, she embraces her masculine persona after her father traded her to the palace for a cow. She demands strict discipline from her subordinates.

Abdul Khaliq's first wife. She delegates heavy labor to the younger wives and enjoys the most privileged position in the compound. Later, she campaigns for a parliamentary seat strictly to execute her husband's political orders in Kabul.

Abdul Khaliq's second wife. She extends genuine sympathy to Rahima, teaching her how to survive in the hostile compound and offering practical maternal advice during Rahima's pregnancy.

Abdul Khaliq's third wife. Taken by the warlord during a raid on her village, she shares a house with Rahima but treats her with jealousy, assigning her the hardest cooking chores while occasionally seeking her company out of loneliness.

The charismatic prince of Afghanistan who commands the army and treasury. He is highly admired by the people and the women of the palace as he prepares to eventually succeed his father with a vision of progressive reforms.