I'm Not Scared characters

Appears from the start

A nine-year-old boy living in the tiny southern Italian settlement of Acqua Traverse during the intensely hot summer of 1978. Curious, impulsive, and protective of his younger sister, he ranges through the surrounding fields with the other village children and narrates what he gradually understands about the adults around him.

Appears from the start

Michele's younger sister, who tries to keep up with the older children despite the heat and rough country. Michele feels responsible for her and turns back when she is left behind during their race.

Also known as Skull

Appears from the start

The domineering leader of the local children's group. He sets races and penalties and uses his position to intimidate the others, especially Barbara.

Appears from the start

A girl in Michele's group who is frequently mocked by Skull. When he devises a humiliating penalty for her after a race, Michele intervenes and takes the forfeit in her place.

Appears from the start

One of Michele's closest companions among the village children. Friendship does not prevent him from yielding to pressure when Michele's secret becomes valuable to the older boys.

First appears in chapter 2

A pale, filthy boy whom Michele discovers concealed in a covered hole near an abandoned farmhouse. He is weak, frightened, and often confused, and the chain around his ankle makes clear that someone is keeping him there.

First appears in chapter 3

Michele and Maria's father, a truck driver whose periods away from home give his returns special importance to the children. Michele admires his strength and wants his approval.

First appears in chapter 3

Michele and Maria's mother, who manages the household and tries to control the children during the long, oppressive summer. She is affectionate but strained by circumstances Michele does not yet understand.

First appears in chapter 4

A coarse visitor from the north who stays with the Amitrano family. His presence unsettles Michele, and his manner suggests authority over business that the village adults keep from their children.

First appears in chapter 7

Skull's older brother, a threatening young man whom Michele encounters near the place where Filippo is imprisoned. His appearance confirms that adults and older boys are watching the hiding place.