Willie Chandran
Willie Chandran is the main character in the book. He was born in India to a brahmin father and a poor mother. He struggled in his childhood with the shame of his parentage and fled India to find his true identity. Willie studied in London on a scholarship and experienced many new freedoms, including sexual freedoms, in an effort to erase his self-doubt and create confidence in himself. He struggles with his role in life and is persistently unsure about love, often falling into unsure relationships. He moves to a Portuguese colony in Africa but after years of living there, he still feels as if he has done nothing in his life. He is married to Ana for 18 years.
Ana
Ana is a small, frail woman who is described as being bony and tiny. She is of Portuguese and African descent and falls in love with Willie after reading his novel. Ana decides to allow Willie to stay with her at her estate home, which was created by her wealthy grandfather. At first she really loves Willie, but we see Willie drift away from her and cheat on her, but she does nothing due to her timid character.
Percy Cato
Percy Cato is a Jamaican student on a scholarship at the same university Willie is attending. He is tall and strong and his father was a worker on the Panama canal. He befriends Willie and explains to Willie that sex is a brutal thing. Percy also has friends at a club in Notting Hill and frequently takes Willie with him there to party. Eventually, their friendship withers and we find out that Percy moved back to Jamaica.
Sarojini
Sarojini is Willie's sister. Her life was insecure during her childhood because nobody wanted to marry her, and her father worried that her only way to leave their home of squalor would be to have an international marriage. Sarojini finally does marry an older German man who was touring Germany and moves with him to Germany. She worries for Willie a lot and often writes long letters to him questioning his actions, acting almost like a mother. She is a small, stout, dark woman.
Roger
Roger is an up-and-coming lawyer who quickly becomes fast friends with Willie after they have a BBC podcast together. Roger is cheerful and happy and meets Willie once or twice or week to talk and have lunch. Roger also has a serious and methodical side to him, which can be described as his lawyer's side. He has a girlfriend named Perdita.
Perdita
Perdita is Robert's girlfriend, even though she wants them to marry. She is tall and plain-looking and often makes Robert nervous and tense. There is a lot of tension between the two of them because she desperately wants them to marry, but Robert is not ready to do so.
Serafina
Serafina is a strong-headed girl from Colombia with an attitude. She arrives at the party at Roger's house and proves to be a very colorful and even angry character. Serafina despises her romantic partner and often eyes the other men at the party.
