Tolgonay is the formidable symbol of resilience, enduring the destruction of war and the most profound losses. She began her life as the daughter of a poor farmhand and, through the sweat she and her husband Suvankul poured into the land, shaped a large family and a bountiful collective farm (kolkhoz). When the Second World War broke out, she lost her husband—the center of her life—and her three sons one by one. With the men gone, she became the team leader, taking responsibility for the women and children left in the village. She fought against both literal hunger and a deep sense of loneliness. She was left entirely alone when her only daughter-in-law, Aliman, became pregnant from an extramarital affair and died during childbirth. Despite this, she did not turn her back on life; she embraced her grandson Canbolat and remained steadfast to build a good future for him. She sharpened her faith in future generations with the wisdom of Mother Earth.
She comes from a family whose grandfather was reduced to farm labor due to debts. While working barefoot in patched clothes on others' fields, she met Suvankul at the age of seventeen. On an autumn night, while lying in an irrigation ditch, they made a promise to each other and started a family. She raised her children in the middle of fields, through the teachings of labor and nature, creating something out of nothing.
An old Kyrgyz mother with white hair, wearing freshly washed whites and a clean white headscarf, her wrinkled eyes gazing into the distance like a sycamore tree. Her back is slightly hunched from work and sorrow, her face darkened by the wind, and her hands are calloused, yet she stands with unshakable resolve.
Aliman
The wounded soul she put in place of her daughter, who accompanied her in her sorrow and desperation but whom she could not protect.
Caynak
Tolgonay's unhealed wound with his youth, joy, and the way he jumped into the fire without batting an eye.
Kasım
The first lamb she entrusted to the fields, who resembles his father, a source of pride.
Canbolat
The only sprout she clings to with all her might to live.
Suvankul
Tolgonay's great love, her life partner with whom she shared her labor and soul.
Maysalbek
The teacher who read much, believed he would change the world, yet walked toward the most heroic of deaths.
Toprak Ana
Her confidante and spiritual reflection throughout the novel.