Meena Alexander
Alexander is the protagonist of the memoir and she has narrated her life experiences as a child, daughter, woman, wife and a mother. The continuous displacement and the resulting trauma that she faced, has been highlighted in the novel. She used to love her family especially her grandfather but because of her father's immigration to Sudan, she moved from her home and country I.e. India along with her parents and sisters. She encountered the cultural differences and feminist issues in various parts of the world and suffered from identity crisis. She was confused regarding her clothes and her personality owing to her changing surroundings.
Meena's Grandfather
Another character in the book is Meena's grandfather whom she misses during her life in Sudan. She yearns to go back to live with him. She also remembers her smile and the garden in their home. She reminisces about her grandfather sitting among cashew and mango trees in the garden. Moving away from her grandfather and his garden was like a fall from paradise for Meena. She goes to meet the grandfather during her vacations.
Editor
The novel begins with Meena sitting with an editor in a cafe in England. She tells the editor about her idea of writing a memoir. As she propagates her idea, she is overwhelmed by the changes in her life since her childhood. The editor has been presented as writing her biography on her request.
Meena's Father
There is Meena's father in the novel who was a meteorologist. He used to live in India along with her family. He had three daughters and Meena was his eldest daughter. He moved to Sudan with his wife and daughters because of his posting there. Meena was very much attached to her father and his family.
Other Characters
Other characters in the novel include Meena's mother, her sister, her friends and other family members in India. The novel also includes Meena's children and her husband.
