Rukmani
Rukmani is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. Because Rukmani is the youngest of four girls, Rukmani's parents can only afford a modest dowry. At twelve, Rukmani has an arranged marriage with Nathan, a tenant farmer from a faraway village. Though her husband is poor, she appreciates his devotion to her and the fact he is rarely angry with her. Rukmani takes to the life of a peasant with humility and optimism, raising vegetables alongside her husband's rice paddy. She is one of the rare women in the village who can read and write. With the help of Kenny, an English doctor, she gives birth to one daughter and many sons. When a tannery is established in the village, Rukmani perceives it as the end of their simple way of life. Believing that a person must suffer in silence, Rukmani survives without complaint through economic exploitation, monsoons, drought, famine, the deaths of two sons, and the revelation of her husband's infidelity. After thirty years of farming, Rukmani and her husband are evicted from their land with two weeks' notice from the landowner. They struggle to reach the city where one of their sons lives, but find he isn't there, having abandoned his wife and child. Rukmani adopts a street orphan while earning money breaking rocks in a quarry. At the end of the book, Rukmani returns to her village with the adopted son but without Nathan, who has died. Her narration of the novel is framed as a reflection on the life she lived with him.
Kenny
Kenny (Kennington) is an English doctor who comes and goes from Rukmani's village, healing people until he grows too frustrated with the local culture. He surprises Rukmani by speaking her language. Following their first meeting at Rukmani's mother's deathbed, Kenny accurately guesses that something is troubling Rukmani; she admits that she hasn't been able to conceive a second child. In secret, he gives her unspecified fertility treatments, and she goes on to have many sons year after year. Their secret intimacy often worries Rukmani, who doesn't know how Nathan or other villagers will perceive their relationship. People often taunt Rukmani, insinuating that her relationship with Kenny is sexual. Temperamental and harsh with his words, Kenny openly judges Rukmani and her people for what he perceives as a foolish resignation to suffering. Kenny admits that he has a wife and children he has more or less abandoned back in England. The subject is shameful to Kenny, and he swears Rukmani to secrecy. At the end of the novel, Kenny raises money in the UK to build a hospital in the village. The project takes seven years to finish. Kenny trains Selvam, Rukmani's son, as his medical assistant.
Nathan
Nathan is Rukmani's husband. A tenant farmer, Nathan doesn't own the rice paddy he cultivates, meaning their pairing is a step down in class for Rukmani. Rukmani comments that Nathan makes up for his poverty by showing utmost devotion and care to his twelve-year-old bride. Upon moving to his village, Rukmani learns that he constructed their hut himself, refusing anyone's help. Nathan begins the book energetic and optimistic, and doesn't blame his wife when she doesn't conceive a second child for six years. The illusion of Nathan's fidelity is shattered when he confesses to having fathered both of Kunthi's sons. Despite his cheating, Rukmani forgives her husband. When they are evicted from their land with no money saved, the couple travels to a distant city to live with one of their sons. Upon learning their son isn't there, Nathan and Rukmani break rocks in a quarry to earn enough to return to the village. However, Nathan comes down with a fever. He collapses and dies in his early fifties during a monsoon at the end of a long day of breaking rocks.
Irawaddy (Ira)
Ira is Rukmani's and Nathan's firstborn child and only daughter. Upon discovering that they have given birth to a girl, Rukmani and Nathan are disappointed, seeing only the cost of having to save money for her dowry. Ira is a happy baby who doesn't give her parents trouble. Six years older than the eldest of her brothers, Ira helps with child-rearing from an early age. Ira is married off in an arranged marriage at fourteen. After five years, her husband rejects her, returning her to her family, saying she is barren. Rukmani later asks Kenny to help with Ira's fertility, as he did for her. Ira begins doing sex work during the famine, unwilling to starve herself and see Kuli die. Ira is impregnated by an unknown male. Her son, Sacrabani, has albinism, a condition that provokes judgment, superstition, and ridicule from people in the village. At the end of the novel, Ira insists on staying in the village, saying that people there are used to her and her son.
Selvam
Selvam is one of Rukmani's sons. Having learn to read when young, Selvam shows an interest in more worldly things than his father. Despite trying his best, Selvam's attempts at farming are unsuccessful. As a teenager, he begins apprenticing for Kenny, training to be a medical assistant and overseeing the construction of the village hospital. Selvam scolds his parents and their friends for treating Ira's albino son as though he is a lesser being. At the end of the novel, Selvam assures his mother that he will help support her, Ira, Puli, and Ira's son, Sacrabani.
Arjun
Arjun is one of Rukmani's eldest sons. Unable to farm with his father's passion, Arjun takes a job at the tannery, where he earns one rupee a day that he gives to his mother to sustain the household. Rukmani is shocked to learn that Arjun is full of ideas about worker's rights and has organized a labor strike at the tannery. When the owners force men back to work under threat of unemployment, Arjun refuses to demean himself by returning. Eventually, he takes a job with two other brothers at a tea plantation in Ceylon.
Kuti
Kuti is another of Rukmani's sons. Frail when young, Kuti's health suffers badly during the famine. Ira begins doing sex work to afford to feed milk to Kuti, keeping him alive. However, Kuti dies just before the family harvests their rice.
Old Granny
Old Granny is an elderly homeless woman who lives in Rukmani's village, on the street. When she first starts growing vegetables, Rukmani is happy to sell them to Old Granny until Biswas, a moneylender, offers her better prices. Old Granny acts as a go-between for Ira's arranged marriage. When the marriage fails, Old Granny feels responsible. Old Granny eventually dies of starvation on the street where she lived. Rukmani laments that no one showed her more care and that the hospital wasn't constructed in time to keep her alive.
Kunthi
Kunthi is one of the main antagonists of the novel. Rukmani judges the fiery, sexually provocative Kunthi for wearing nothing under her sari and putting perfume on her thighs. Rukmani doesn't understand why Kunthi's husband lets her conduct affairs with other men. Rukmani develops a passionate hatred for Kunthi when Kunthi threatens to tell Nathan about Rukmani's dealings with Kenny. Nathan eventually confesses to having fathered both of Kunthi's sons, saying their affair began before he was married to Rukmani and continued after.
Puli
Puli is an orphan Rukmani adopts. Toward the end of the novel, Rukmani and Nathan travel to a city to live with their son Murugan. A wily, charming street orphan leads them to a local doctor Murugan used to work for. The couple later encounter Puli again, and he demands payment for the service he provided. Unable to give him any money, the couple share their food and Puli sleeps next to them on the floor of the temple. Puli is missing the ends of his fingers because of an undisclosed disease. He brings the couple to a quarry to break rocks for money, which they entrust to him because they believe it will be safer from pickpockets. When Nathan dies, Rukmani brings Puli with her back to the village. Ira welcomes the boy in the house and offers him food.
