Estrella

A teenage migrant laborer and  protagonist of the novel. Estrella is strong and determined. She takes care of her younger siblings and works as hard as the other adult laborers. She is also called Star, a nickname her now-absent father gave her in childhood. Though she is only thirteen, Estrella has a grim resolve that is more adult than her years.

Petra

The matriarch of Estrella’s family. Petra is religious, hard-working, and protective of her children. At thirty-five, her body is so damaged by hard labor that her varicose veins make it hard to walk. Petra is stubborn and tough on her children, especially Estrella, but she carries a deep love for her eldest daughter, who often refers to her as “the mother.”

Perfecto Flores

Petra’s partner, a much older man who has already raised one set of children to adulthood. Perfecto is known for the perfection of his craftsmanship. He struggles with his desire to leave the fields for Mexico and his knowledge that Petra and her children depend on him. Perfecto also sometimes dreams of his dead wife.

Alejo

A motherless sixteen-year-old laborer and Estrella’s love interest. Alejo has come from Texas with his cousin, Gumecindo, to work the fields in California. Industrious and clever, Alejo longs to go to school and study geology. He admires Estrella and is almost obsessive in his pursual of her.

Perla and Cookie

The twins, Estrella’s younger sisters. Petra and Cookie are curious and guileless, naïve, and playful in contrast to Estrella’s seriousness. They often find their way into trouble while exploring their world.

Ricky and Arnulfo

Estrella’s younger brothers. Ricky and Arnulfo are rambunctious and still childlike, alternately tattling on Estrella and treating her like a second mother.

Gumecindo

Alejo’s cousin and partner in crime. Gumecindo is anxious about breaking the rules of the camp, though he helps Alejo steal peaches to sell. He is often frightened of La Llorona, a woman from a Mexican ghost story who is said to have drowned her children.

Estrella’s Father

A proud and violent man who has abandoned the family and returned to Mexico. Estrella remembers him as a larger-than-life figure, and Petra still thinks of him constantly.

Maxine Devridge

A rough and tough white girl whose family is known for criminal behavior and shamelessness. Maxine was Estrella’s friend at a previous work camp, until an altercation between the girls caused Estrella’s family to be evicted.

The Nurse

The only health clinic worker. Cheerful but brusque, the nurse does not truly care about the needs of the family or Alejo. She is condescending in her treatment of the migrant worker family.

The Boy

A mysterious young boy sometimes seen in the barn. Referred to by the children as “the harelip boy” because of his cleft palate, his sudden appearance spooks Gumecindo and later Estrella. It is unclear whether he is a real child or a ghost. 

Mercedes

The deceased mother of Perfecto’s children. Mercedes lost her faith in God after their first baby died, and she later lost her life to cancer. 

Toothless Kawamoto

A field worker to whom Estrella gives a peach. His Japanese name is a reminder that not all of the laborers are Chicano.

Big Mac

The foreman of the previous labor camp where Estrella’s family worked. Big Mac lies about the safety of the drinking water, showing disregard for the health of his workers.

The Foreman

The overseer of the farm workers at the current labor camp.