Olanna
Olanna is one of the novel’s protagonists, and she serves as the personification of strength and morality. She is the daughter of a wealthy family and moved back to Nigeria after completing her studies in London. Although she is truly in love with Odenigbo, Olanna finds that her love is tested in the most brutal ways in the midst of a ruthless war. While escaping from the North, she witnesses massacres and atrocities just because she is Igbo; she must later sustain her family in reduced circumstances in Biafra, but comes out stronger than before.
Richard
An English expatriate and aspiring writer, Richard has a fascination with the Igbo-Ukwu culture. He falls in love with Kainene. Since this affection is reciprocated, they form a bond and soon get into a relationship. Richard genuinely wants to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the Biafran War, though he does not always comprehend that he will always be an outsider. However, as this reality dawns upon him, he uses his agency as a journalist to lend a voice to the unheard victims of the hostilities.
Odenigbo
Olanna’s lover and then husband, Odenigbo is a man of strong character and opinions, one who argues about politics even in times of relative peace. His love for Olanna is tested when he impregnates another woman, Amala, but he and Olanna survive that hurdle. Odenigbo also educates Ugwu in the story, playing an important role in his life. Though a bookish professor of mathematics by profession, he is a patriot and an uncompromising supporter of Biafra. Unfortunately - during the war - he is shaken by the death of his mother and starts to drink.
Kainene
Olanna's non-identical twin, Kainene has chosen a career path that differs from her sister's. Before the war breaks out, Kainene becomes involved in her father's business empire. She is also a figure in Nigerian high society, a witty, sarcastic, sophisticated woman who, despite her intellectual virtues, does not share her sister's reputation as a renowned beauty. After the war breaks out, Kainene stays in Biafra and becomes involved in humanitarian efforts on behalf of refugees.
Ugwu
A boy from a Nigerian village, Ugwu joins Odenibgo's household early in the novel, serving as the mathematics professor's houseboy. Though unaccustomed to modern luxuries and somewhat superstitious, Ugwu is not held back by his rough-hewn origins. He is a quick learner and loyal to Odenigbo, yet the war challenges Ugwu. Forced into the Biafran army, Ugwu must participate in bloody campaigns and in acts of violence against civilians to fit in. He later chronicles the traumas of the Civil War in a series of notes.
Baby
Though apparently named Chiamaka, this character is referred to as "Baby" by almost all of the major characters, with Kainene as the sole exception. Baby is first introduced as the young daughter of Odenigbo and Olanna. This lively, agreeable girl begins her life in the comfortable university community at Nsukka, then faces the deprivations and menaces of the Civil War when her family is forced to flee. Baby's parentage is also a fraught issue. While Olanna and Odenigbo both show Baby affection, Baby's mother by birth is in fact Amala.
Eberechi
Ugwu's love interest Eberechi appears in the narrative after the Civil War breaks out. She is a spirited young woman whose parents, at one point, offered her to an army officer for sexual intercourse. Himself fixated on sexuality, Ugwu is attracted to Eberechi both because she has an appealing personality and because she has voluptuous buttocks. She dies in the course of the war; Richard, who discovers Eberechi's fate at Ugwu's request, decides not to share this knowledge with Ugwu.
Madu
Colonel Madu Madu is an imposing man and a friend of Kainene. He is also forced to struggle when the second coup erupts. An Igbo officer, Madu flees the North, hiding in a chicken coop and a water tank as he seeks refuge. After the hostilities end, Madu is alive but his former wealth has disappeared, even though he maintains contact with Kainene's family. Richard also suspects that Madu and Kainene have been lovers - an inkling that becomes a source of tension and eventually open conflict.
Mama / Odenigbo's Mother
A villager from the community of Abba, "Mama" is a traditional woman. Distrustful of Olanna, Odenigbo's mother is instrumental in the short affair between Odenibgo and Amala. Mama's actions during the Civil War can be read as either misguided or stubbornly courageous. Even as Odenigbo and the other members of his household relocate constantly to remain safe, Odenibgo's mother stays behind in Abba, where she is ultimately killed by invading soldiers.
Professor Ezeka
Professor Ezeka - along with Dr. Patel, Miss Adebayo, and the poet Okeoma - is one of the Nsukka intellectuals who regularly attends Odenibgo's get-togethers before the war. After the Civil War erupts, Professor Ezeka rises to a position of political authority. His lifestyle during this time period is remarkably luxurious, certainly compared to the on-the-run conditions that Odenigbo's family must face. Professor Ezeka's fate after the war, however, remains unknown.
