Sundara Sovann
Sundara is just a girl when she leaves Cambodia with her family. Because of the war, her aunt, uncle, and grandma decide to move suddenly, so there is no time to send for Sundara's parents to join them or even to give them a warning. Sundara grows up feeling the loss of her parents deeply, causing her to fear abandonment. When her aunt's baby dies on the boat ride to America, Sundara is crushed. She never seems to be the same after the death, eventually leading her grandma to believe that the girl's body has been possessed by the soul of the dead infant. Despite these strange affairs, Sundara grows up relatively normal in the U.S. High school is difficult for her socially, made especially complicated because of her heritage which many of the kids ridicule or are afraid of. She's very timid, avoiding conflict at all costs. This tendency handicaps her relationships, but she does make a strong impression on her boyfriend.
Chamroeun
He was Sundara's friend when she was a girl in Cambodia. Before she's sent to her uncle's house, she says goodbye to him as he joins the war. Later, in America, Sundara learns that he has been killed. It's a tough blow for her.
Aunt Soka
Sundara's aunt is the glue of the family. She oversees the household, the children, and often their finances. She is the one to get a job working for the farmer, for which she recruits Sundara to help. Afraid of allowing Sundara to suffer embarrassment or heartbreak because of cultural differences, she forbids her from dating Jonathan. She soon realizes that she cannot prevent young love, however.
Uncle Naro
He's a rather flat character, mostly concerning himself with work. He decides to move the family to America when the war starts becoming nasty in Cambodia.
Grandma
She's a feisty old lady. Steemed in rich cultural tradition, Grandma is extremely superstitious. She leads all the women of the family to pray for Sundara's release from Soka's dead baby.
Mrs. Cathcart
She's Sundara's teacher in high school. She's not exactly empathetic when it comes to culture shock. Although she appreciates where Sundara is coming from (literally), she is insensitive. For example, she reads Sundara's poem about her journey as a refugee aloud to the class which really embarrasses the girl.
Mr. Bonner
He is the farmer for whom Aunt Soka and Sundara work.
Jonathan
He is Sundara's crush. After meeting her at the fruit stand, he becomes fascinated by her strange history as a refugee. He's kind of a douche, though, and leads her on while continuing to date Cathy. The more time he spends with Sundara, the more he feels compelled to make changes in his own life. Basically he gets a serious case of white guilt. He quits the football team and argues with everyone about his motives, eventually convincing his father to leave on a lengthy mission trip. Jonathan regrets his father's absence and withdraws from Sundara because of it, as if blaming her for his faults.
Cathy Gates
Cathy enjoys the popularity boost which she receives for dating Jonathan. She cares about dating him but doesn't necessarily care about him as a person. Understandably, she becomes insanely jealous over Sundara when Jonathan starts hanging out with her. She breaks up with him after he quits football.
Moni
Moni is another Cambodian refugee who attends Sundara's school. The two bond over shared experiences and become fast friends.
