The novel’s protagonist, Fadi Nurzai, is an 11-year-old boy who emigrates to the United States from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. He is described as having “a thin face with unruly dark hair […]. His nose sloped slightly to the left, evidence that he’d broken it once” (36). Fadi is independent and brave, but the loss of his little sister, Mariam, after she fails to board the truck in Jalalabad haunts him. He believes that because he let go of her hand as she reached down to pick up her fallen Barbie doll, he is to blame for her being left behind. Throughout the novel, as Fadi struggles to adjust to his new home and pursue his interests, his guilt weighs on him.

Fadi is characterized by his intelligence, tenacity, and his need to be in control. When Fadi realizes he cannot sneak onto a flight or when he discovers that he has not won the photography contest—both attempts to bring back Mariam—he feels lost because he is no longer in control. The same traits that make Fadi a loyal brother and friend lead him to obsess over his guilt; Fadi’s guilt convinces him that he is responsible for solving his family’s difficulties singlehandedly.