She has large, strikingly clear turquoise-green eyes, dark defined eyebrows, and tan skin with soft features, long, straight black hair that falls past her shoulders, usually worn with a center part., and tan skin. Brave, resourceful, and deeply devoted to her family.

Nurullah: A gentle-looking older man with short grey-and-black hair, a full dark grey beard, and deep-set, warm brown eyes. He's Parvana’s father. A former schoolteacher who lost his leg in the Soviet–Afghan War. He makes a living reading and writing letters in the market. He teaches Parvana history, culture, and the power of storytelling before he is arrested by young Taliban militants. Fattema: A tall, slender woman with expressive brown eyes, dark hair, and a tired, sorrowful face reflecting her grief. She's Parvana’s mother. A former writer who tries her best to hold the family together despite severe restrictions on women. She struggles with deep grief and physical danger as she tries to secure her family’s survival and search for her missing husband. Soraya: Shares Parvana’s dark hair and features, but looks older and more mature. She's Parvana’s older sister. Quiet, dutiful, and protective. She handles much of the cooking and domestic work at home and is later engaged to a cousin in another town in a desperate bid to keep her safe. Zaki: A chubby toddler with a round face, big dark eyes, rosy cheeks, and a small tuft of dark hair. He's Parvana’s baby brother. Playful and innocent, he is too young to understand the dangers surrounding their life. Parvana keeps him comforted by telling him an epic story about a young boy fighting a fierce Elephant King. Sulayman: A once young, spirited boy with shoulder-length curly black hair, a slight unibrow, dark brown eyes, and a wide gap-toothed smile. He's Parvana’s deceased older brother.

A young, lanky, and sharp-featured man with intense, aggressive eyes and a thin, sparse beard. A cruel, hot-tempered young Taliban militant.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick, heavy black beard, a stern face, and a soft, somber expression. A soft-spoken, illiterate Taliban soldier.

Parvana’s former classmate and close friend. Energetic and lean, with short cropped black hair and sharp facial features. She is street-smart, spunky, and dreams of saving enough money to escape Kabul and see the ocean. Shauzia disguises herself as a boy named Deliwar to earn money doing hard manual labor.