The narrator is a nine-year-old girl forced to flee her home due to a violent civil war. She is the middle child in her family and takes on significant responsibilities, including carrying and caring for her infant brother. Experiencing severe hunger and fear, she views the world with innocence and struggles to understand the political forces driving her family's displacement.

The grandmother is a strong-willed, able-bodied woman who takes charge of her grandchildren's survival. She possesses a practical understanding of their desperate situation and acts decisively to secure necessities. To gather supplies for their journey to South Africa, she sells her personal belongings, including her church shoes.

The grandfather is a diminutive, elderly man who wears baggy clothing and rarely speaks. He has lost his garden and livestock to the war, an experience that leaves him exhausted and physically diminished. He struggles to keep pace with the harsh physical demands of the family's escape through the wilderness.

The oldest of the three siblings, this young boy takes on a protective role following the loss of his parents. He attempts to guard his family from the surrounding violence until their grandparents arrive to take charge of the group.

The youngest sibling is an infant who suffers from severe malnutrition due to the ongoing war and food shortages. He relies entirely on his sister and grandmother for transport and care during their escape through Kruger Park.

The mother of the three children is a provider who attempts to maintain normal household routines during the war. She ventures out to secure basic necessities for her family despite the dangerous environment surrounding their village.

The father of the children is an absent figure who attempts to defend his home against the violent rebels invading their region. His death early in the conflict leaves the family vulnerable and forces the children into adult roles.

The guide is an unnamed leader who coordinates the movement of the fleeing villagers through Kruger Park. He possesses knowledge of the terrain and the necessary survival tactics, instructing the group on how to avoid detection by park authorities and tourists.

White tourists visiting Kruger Park for vacation and animal observation. They stay within guarded areas, remaining entirely separated from the desperate refugees hiding nearby. They represent the outside world's ignorance of the ongoing war.