Nadira is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. Her mother praises her as patient and of slow strength, foreshadowing her character’s eventual transformation. She begins the story feeling overshadowed by her older sister, Aisha, and grapples with feelings of inadequacy and otherness, saying, “Ma says I’m just a little big for my age […] Nobody else in our family is fat, and sometimes I feel like I’ve been beamed in from another genetic planet” (26). Nadira’s self-consciousness about her weight symbolizes her internal struggle for a sense of belonging within her family; it also serves as a metaphor for her feelings of alienation as an undocumented immigrant in post-9/11 America.

Initially passive and reserved, Nadira gradually assumes a more assertive role as she confronts her family’s immigration challenges. This change is emblematic of her emotional and intellectual maturation, reflecting a journey towards self-acceptance and empowerment and developing the theme of The Resilience and Adaptability of Young Immigrants. When Nadira accompanies her sister to Barnard College, it marks a shift in her self-perception, and she begins to envision a future for herself in America. Her newfound boldness leads her to consider an illegal solution proposed by Tareq.