Nnamabia
In the collection's opening story, "Cell One," Nnamabia is the narrator’s older brother. Growing up, Nnamabia gets into mischief and commits petty crimes. He steals a TV and VCR from his own family to sell, even though he doesn’t need the money. Nnambia’s carefree ways come to an abrupt stop when he is arrested for his involvement in a violent crime. Although he defends his innocence, his jail time opens his eyes to the corruption that pervades his country.
Chika
Chika is the protagonist in “A Private Experience.” She is an Igbo Christian woman from a wealthy background, and she is visiting her aunt in Kano. When a violent riot breaks out in town, she takes cover in an abandoned shop with an unnamed Hausa Muslim woman. During their time in the shop, Chika notices the religious and class differences between herself and the Hausa woman. While their circumstances are stressful, the two characters bond over their shared womanhood.
The Hausa Woman
In "A Private Experience," the Hausa woman is the other character stuck in the abandoned shop with Chika. She has lost her daughter during the violence, and she is worried about being separated from her child. She and Chika bond despite their different religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Akunna
Akunna is the narrator of "The Thing Around Your Neck." She wins the American visa lottery and moves to rural Maine. While her Nigerian family is confident that her new life in America will be promising, Akunna struggles and experiences intense loneliness. She dates a wealthy white boy that she is unable to relate to. This dating experience disillusions her even more, and she grows resentful.
Ugonna
Ugonna is the narrator’s son in "The American Embassy." At only four years old, he is accidentally shot by government officials while they are searching the home for his father who has already fled. His death causes the narrator to seek an asylum visa from the American Embassy. He is shown as an innocent victim of a corrupt regime.
Nonso
Nonso is the unnamed female narrator’s older brother in "Tomorrow is Too Far." Nonso is the only son of their father, who is also their grandmother’s only son, and thus the only one to carry on the family name. He is doted on by his American mother. In addition, he is coddled by his grandmother when he visits Nigeria every summer. The inequality between the narrator in Nonso creates a profound tension. This jealousy prompts the narrator to challenge Nonso, and he accidentally falls to his death.
Dozie
Dozie is another character from “Tomorrow Is Too Far.” He is the narrator's cousin. He also experiences Nonso's favoritism, and he conspires with the narrator to challenge Nonso with a dare. The narrator once had a crush on Dozie.
Grandmama
Another character from "Tomorrow Is Too Far," Grandmama is the narrator’s grandmother who lives in Nigeria. Every summer, Nonso and the narrator visit and stay with Grandmama. Grandmama unwittingly fosters a rivalry between the two siblings by favoring Nonso due to his ability to carry on the family name. Grandmama tells the narrator that the name of a poisonous snake is echi eteka, also known as “tomorrow is too far.” This name serves as the title inspiration for the short story.
Nkem
Nkem is the protagonist in "Imitation." She lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia while her husband, Obiora, lives in Nigeria. Nkem receives a phone call from her friend that informs her that Obiora has a new girlfriend in Nigeria. When Obiora makes his annual two-month visit to Philadelphia, Nkem chooses to stand up for herself and defend her marriage values. At the conclusion of the story, Nkem demands that she and the children return to Lagos in the following year.
Obiora
Obiora is Nkem's husband in the story "Imitation." He lives ten months out of the year in Nigeria. During the remaining two months, he visits his wife and children in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When he visits his family, he often brings back expensive gifts from home. During the most recent visit, Obiora brings Nkem a bronze statue.
James Nwoye
James Nwoye is the protagonist in "Ghosts." James is a math professor on the Nsukka campus. He is still grieving the death of his wife, Ebere. He is surprised when he sees Ikenna Okoro, a colleague who he believed had died in the revolutionary efforts decades prior, on campus. James tells Ikenna that his dead wife, Ebere, comes to "visit him" from time to time. James believes in ghosts, but he is afraid to admit this to his daughter. He reveals that he continues to live in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War.
Ikenna Okoro
Ikenna Okoro is also a character in "Ghosts." An old colleague of James Nwoye and a fellow professor, Ikenna was on his way to the university campus when everyone was forced to evacuate due to violence. He hasn't been back in Nigeria since 1967. During his visit, he tells James that he fled to Switzerland after his entire family was killed. He is mildly concerned when James reveals that he is visited by the ghost of his late wife, Ebere.
Kamara
Kamara's story appears in "On Monday of Last Week." Kamara, a young Nigerian woman who has recently moved to Philadelphia, takes a nannying job for a wealthy family. She watches Josh, a biracial child, everyday after school. One day, Kamara is introduced to Josh's mother, Tracy. She compliments Kamara’s teeth, and asks if she would be open to nude model for one of her pieces. Kamara becomes obsessed with Tracy, and she begins fantasizing about having a relationship with her. This desire prompts Kamara to realize her dissatisfaction surrounding her marriage to Tobechi. Although Kamara never acts on her attraction to Tracy, Tracy’s presence prompts Kamara to evaluate her life choices and recognize her buried feelings of self-loathing.
Neil
In "On Monday of Last Week," Neil hires Kamara to watch his seven-year-old son, Josh. Neil, who is Jewish, tells Kamara that his wife, Tracy, is working on an important commissioned art project in the basement and cannot be disturbed. Neil is highly anxious, and he consistently bothers Kamara with new instructions for how to best care for Josh. He is married to Tracy, an artist who works in the basement of the home.
Josh
Josh is a seven-year-old child in "On Monday of Last Week." His father, Neil, is Jewish, while his mother, Tracy, is African American. Kamara, a Nigerian immigrant, is hired as his nanny.
Tracy
Tracy is a character in "On Monday of Last Week." She is Josh's mother and Neil's wife. She is working on an important commissioned art project in her home's basement. She approaches Kamara, Josh's nanny, to ask if she would like to be a nude model for her art. This prompts Kamara to become obsessed with Tracy.
Ujunwa
"Jumping Monkey Hill" centers around Ujunwa, a young and promising Nigerian writer. She is selected to represent her country at a literary retreat called the Africa Writers Workshop in Cape Town. From the beginning fo the story, she hates Edward Campbell, the British sponsor for the writer's retreat. Ujunwa recognizes Edward's problematic behavior, and she is nervous to workshop her story with him. When Ujunwa shares her piece, Edward criticizes it. He explains that her story is "unrealistic," because it doesn't fit with his preconceived notions of African life, which are themselves highly unrealistic. Ujunwa laughs at Edward’s comments, admitting to him that her writing is autobiographical. This is significant, as Ujunwa had previously said that her story was not actually based on her experience with her father.
Edward Campbell
In, "Jumping Monkey Hill," Edward Campbell is the Oxford-educated British intellectual who sponsors the writing workshop that Ujunwa attends. Although Dr. Campbell claims to advocate for African narratives, he rejects stories that chronicle daily African life. Instead, he favors narratives that propagate African violence and suffering. Edward continually displays behavior that is racist and sexist.
Ukumaka
In "The Shivering," Ukumaka is a Nigerian graduate student at Princeton. One day, she hears news that there has been a devastating plane crash in Nigeria that has killed over one hundred passengers. She fears that her ex-boyfriend, Udenna, may have been a victim. She befriends Chinedu, another Nigerian who lives in her building. She vents about her breakup with Udenna to Chinedu. Later, Chinedu admits that he had a boyfriend in Nigeria. The two have a large fight, but they later reconcile and vow to remain friends through hardship.
Chinedu
Chinedu is a character in "The Shivering." He knocks on Ukumaka's door to pray after hearing about a devastating Nigerian plane crash. He becomes friends with Ukumaka, and the two drive to church together every Sunday. One day, Chinedu tells Ukumaka that he is gay. Later, the two characters have a large fight. After not speaking for a long time, Chinedu tells Ukumaka that his visa has expired and he's staying in the country illegally. The two friends reconcile, and Ukumaka vows to help Chinedu not get deported.
Udenna
In "The Shivering," Udenna is Ukumaka's ex-boyfriend. He is depicted as a wealthy Nigerian who is professionally and academically accomplished. Though Ukumaka fears that he may have been a victim in the devastating Nigerian plane crash, he is safe.
Chinaza
Chinaza is the protagonist in "The Arrangers of Marriage." Chinaza has just immigrated to New York with her new husband, Ofodile. Ofodile repeatedly tries to diminish Chinaza's foreignness. She befriends Nia, a downstairs neighbor in their Flatbush apartment building, who inspires her to defend her customs and traditions. When Chinaza discovers that Ofodile was married before, she feels mislead and disrespected. Chinaza decides that she must persevere and attempt to create a life for herself in America, separate from her life with Ofodile.
Ofodile
Ofodile is a character in "The Arrangers of Marriage." He is a Nigerian doctor who immigrated to New York many years ago. He is completing his residency, and he has just returned from his wedding ceremony to Chinaza in Nigeria. Ofodile is obsessed with Americanizing himself and his new wife. He has changed his name to Dave Bell in order to fit in with American culture. After being married for a little while, he tells Chinaza that he was married once before in order to obtain his green card. It is also revealed that he once slept with Nia, Chinaza's friend and downstairs neighbor.
Nia
Nia is another character in "The Arrangers of Marriage." She lives in the same Flatbush apartment building as Ofodile and Chinaza. She befriends Chinaza and gives her the strength to reconsider her emotionally abusive relationship with Ofodile.
Nwamgba
Nwamgba is the protagonist in "The Headstrong Historian." She continues to grieve over the death of her late husband. After her husband is killed by his cousins, she chooses to send her son, Anikwenwa, to Catholic school to protect him. Anikwenwa begins to reject traditional Nigerian customs. When Anikwenwa has children, Nwamgba is confident that one of them will carry the spirit of her late husband. Anikwenwa's daughter, Grace, is interested in Nwamgba's traditional customs. Grace commits her adult life to studying the pre-colonial history of the Nigerian people.
Anikwenwa
In "The Headstrong Historian," Anikwenwa is Nwamgba's son. After he is sent to Catholic school, he rejects his mother's traditional practices. He vows to raise his children with Catholic values. However, Grace and his mother share an inexplicable bond.
Grace
In "The Headstrong Historian," Grace’s father, Anikwenwa, attempts to repress her interests. He sends her away to boarding school, hoping that she will receive a western education. At her boarding school, Grace reads books about the colonization of African tribes. She does not realize that she is of African descent until she reads her grandmother’s poetry. She protests against Anikwenwa for attempting to erase this part of her history. Grace grows very close to Nwamgba, and she dedicates her life to studying the history of the Nigerian people.
