Ben

Ben, at age 39, reflects on his family's story as the narrator and protagonist of the novel. Along with his three older brothers, Ben refers to himself as a fisherman when the boys rebel from their strict study rules when Father leaves home to work in another town.

Ben is nine years old at the time the story begins. He is captured for his role in killing a madman and spends six years incarcerated. As a younger brother, Ben often follows his older brothers, but in a rare instance, he does not run away with Obembe to escape capture for the murder. Instead, he remains and faces his consequences.

Ikenna

Ikenna is the oldest brother who first introduced the notion of fishing to Obembe and Ben. It begins when he and Boja meet a couple of their friends after school to go fishing. Ikenna loves fishing so much that...