Tula is a young girl growing up in 19th-century Cuba with an immense passion for reading and writing. Denied access to physical books by her mother, she develops a rich inner world, creating imaginary stories filled with clever, heroic girls. She seeks intellectual freedom and uses her imagination as a tool for personal liberation from strict gender expectations.

A pragmatic woman who enforces strict 19th-century gender norms upon her household. She believes that girls who read are unattractive and unladylike. She restricts Tula's access to literature in hopes of making her a suitable bride for a wealthy suitor, prioritizing economic security over intellectual growth.

A Spanish marine commander who passes away when Tula is young. During his life, he supported his daughter's intellect and allowed her to read freely. His surviving books serve as a physical reminder of his supportive spirit, though they are kept completely out of Tula's reach.

Tula's sibling who is permitted the intellectual freedoms that are explicitly denied to his sister. While their father was alive, Tula felt like an equal to him, but current household rules highlight the disparity in their gender-based treatment.

A revolutionary Cuban poet who opposes slavery and uses nature to express a desire for independence. Though he does not directly interact with Tula in her childhood home, his written work profoundly influences her own abolitionist beliefs and literary ambitions.