Hai
Hai, the protagonist, was born in Vietnam in 1989, 14 years after the Fall of Saigon. After moving to Connecticut when he was two years old, Hai was raised by his traumatized mother, aunt, and grandmother. He was the first in his family to be accepted into college, but—unbeknownst to his mother—Hai's grief and struggle with drug use eventually led to him dropping out of school.
At the beginning of the novel, Hai decides to jump off King Philip's Bridge. A chance encounter with Grazina prevents Hai's suicide, acting as a catalyst that renews his life. He moves in with Grazina and takes care of her, eventually seeking employment at HomeMarket.
Grazina
Grazina is a widow who lives alone on the riverbank situated in an environmental hazard zone. Originally from Lithuania, Grazina fled years earlier to escape Hitler and Stalin's armies before settling in the U.S. Her husband passed away, her daughter moved to Texas and succumbed to alcoholism, and her son lives within driving distance but does not maintain a close relationship with her. At the beginning of the novel, Hai moves in as her caregiver. Her cluttered and decrepit house is decorated with owl-themed objects. Grazina's dementia symptoms progress over the course of the novel until her son, Lucas, decides to move her into assisted living. Grazina and Hai become close over the year they live together. It is unclear how many of Grazina's wartime flashbacks are real, but Hai grows very fond of her authentic, acerbic, and idiosyncratic personality.
Sony
Two years younger that Hai, Sony was born in the U.S. with hydrocephalus, receiving emergency surgery just hours after his birth. This left him with a scar that later incited bullying. Sony is obsessed with the Civil War and often uses historical facts and jargon to make sense of things. He dreams of enlisting in the military to help pay for his mother's bail. Struggling with depression and marginalization resulting from his neurodivergence, Sony embarks on a quest to retrieve his father's diamond despite knowing that his father is dead.
BJ
BJ is the manager at HomeMarket. She takes immense pride in her work. BJ's dream is to break out of food management and become a professional wrestler. She invests a great deal of time and energy into her pre-match introduction performance, which consists of her singing heavy metal, later accompanied by banjo-playing. Although BJ does not achieve her dreams during the course of the novel, she demonstrates her regard for others when she assists a hungry, freezing, homeless man and facilitates Sony's quest to Vermont.
Russia
Russia works the drive-thru at HomeMarket. Although he chatters about strange and violent sexual fantasies upon first meeting Hai, he is actually quite empathetic and caring. For instance, he pays for his sister's rehabilitation and often supports his friends through hardship. Despite his name, Russia is of Tajikistani descent. His father suffered after serving in the Red Army for three years, leading the family to flee the Soviet Union and seek asylum in the U.S. Russia adorns himself with tattoos, a nose ring, and a dyed blue buzz cut. He enjoys smoking weed.
Wayne
Wayne is Hai's coworker at HomeMarket. Like his father and grandfather before him, Wayne works as "Chief of Rotisserie," a role he excels in. Hai describes Wayne as "a rotund, profusely sweating man whose squat neck barely rose an inch above his collar" (Chapter 4). He often personalizes his cooking by adding homegrown rosemary to chicken for HomeMarket regulars and making Hai and Grazina homemade Salisbury steaks from leftover HomeMarket meatloaf. Wayne has a son he is no longer in contact with, and his life outside of work consists of caring for his dogs.
Maureen
Maureen is a retired elementary school hall monitor who works as a cashier at HomeMarket. She is redheaded, arthritic, and loves to swear. She is also a fanatic conspiracy theorist who believes that the Earth is hollow and controlled by underground reptiles. Hai relates to some of the underlying truths in her statements.
Bà ngoại
Bà ngoại is Hai's deceased grandmother who suffered from trauma and schizophrenia. Hai often supported her through delusional episodes. Both he and Sony are gutted by her passing.
Hai's Ma
Hai's mother sacrifices her time and well-being to provide for her family by working long hours at a nail salon. She expresses disappointment when Hai drops out of college. For the entirety of the novel, Hai deceives her into believing that he is in medical school in Boston. Hai's mother is also unaware that her sister, Kim, is in jail.
Kim
Sony's mother (Hai's Aunt Kim) is in prison for insurance fraud, a secret she keeps from her sister. Kim also tells Hai that for the years she has been impersonating Sony's deceased father in letters addressed to Sony. Though she laments the fact that Sony isn't socially "normal," she clearly loves him fiercely.
Lucas
Lucas is Grazina's son. A successful pharmacist, Lucas lives in luxury compared to his mother. When Grazina and Hai attend Christmas Eve dinner at Lucas's hosue, Hai witnesses the disrespectful way that Lucas allows his family to treat Grazina. Lucas plans to move his mother into a care facility against her will.
