Onyesonwu, or Onye, is the protagonist of the novel. Onye is what is known as an Ewu, or the child of a Nuru and an Okeke. Ewu children are believed to be evil, as they are thought to be the product of violence: because Okeke are slaves, it is assumed that an Ewu child must be the product of rape. As a result, Ewu are looked down upon at best, as they are in Jwahir, and at worst, the victims of horrific violence.

Because of this, Onye spent the first six years of her life living with her mother as a nomad in the desert. Even after settling in Jwahir, Onye led a lonely life and was looked down on by everyone except a few people, including the girls with whom she underwent the Eleventh Rites, or female circumcision. She keeps to herself and learns early on to both be wary of those around her and apathetic to what they say, at least as far as she is able. However, she is also proud, stubborn, and quick to anger, and so she often responds rather than ignoring the taunts and insults, sometimes even violently.

Onye discovers early that she is also Eshu, meaning that she is able to transform into other animals and mythical creatures (although she only discovers the latter when she is older).