The Fine Print

Zahra Gulian is the love interest for Rowan and the novel’s secondary protagonist. Her parents are immigrants, but they have worked at Dreamland for many years, essentially raising their daughters there. They are among the many Dreamland employees who earn minimal wages and live paycheck-to-paycheck. Zahra has worked for many years at the salon inside the park, giving children Dreamland-style makeovers for their visits. She has always dreamed of becoming a Creator; Creators are the artists, engineers, and other designers who come up with ideas for the park, designing the rides, parades, or and other attractions. Zahra’s dream was put off for several years because her ex-boyfriend, Lance, stole her idea for an entirely new section of the park and pitched it as his own. Around the same time, she discovered that Lance was having an affair, and her self-worth was destroyed. By the time the novel begins, she has spent several years working on her mental health, so when her roommate Claire urges her to submit a proposal for a park idea, she is ready to do so despite her lingering doubts. Zahra’s journey includes opening herself up to another man and learning how to forgive after her trust has been broken. Her new role as a Creator also helps her to continue her journey back to self-love and confidence, turning her into the woman she wants to be and always was before Lance’s betrayal.

Zahra is portrayed as an upbeat, kind, and thoughtful person. She struggles with feeling like an imposter when her dreams of becoming a Creator come true, but the author reveals Zahra’s resilience through the process. With support from a counselor and her family, Zahra works through her trauma responses. Zahra represents the possibilities available if one pursues healing after trauma. She became depressed after Lance’s betrayals, but because she has put in the work to overcome this obstacle in her life, she now has the opportunity to pursue her dreams with a healthier approach. Her lighthearted demeanor and authentic concern for others inspire Rowan and help him to understand that there are people who will love and care with no ulterior motives. She is different from his circle in every way, from her personality to her socioeconomic status.

Even Zahra’s appearance makes her stand out; she often wears brighter colors and different styles than most women her age, and she wears a pin every day, cycling through all the pins that Claire gave her during her time in counseling. The pins become a subject of interest for Rowan, but he must earn Zahra’s trust before she will share how meaningful they are for her and how they helped her during the lowest period of her life.

Declan and Callahan (Cal) are Rowan’s older brothers. As a result of their father’s abuse, the brothers have developed a relationship that is both strong and distant; they do not allow others to get close to them, but they are dedicated to keeping their father from controlling Dreamland, and they are also committed to supporting one another against their father. Despite protecting Cal and Rowan as children, Declan is harsh on Rowan as an adult, as is demonstrated when he pressures Rowan into following through with their original plan instead of following his own heart and staying in Dreamland with Zahra.

Seth is the father of Declan, Cal, and Rowan. Before the death of their mother, the family was happy, including Seth. The Fine Print reveals how deeply Seth loved his wife, for he gave her everything he could. Her death shattered him, and he turned to alcohol. He also became emotionally abusive toward all of his sons. For Rowan in particular, Seth is a symbol of childhood trauma and someone to whom he must prove himself. Despite wanting to keep Seth out of his life as much as possible, Rowan knows that he has made certain business decisions to prove that he is not the weak person that Seth always claimed him to be.

Seth is also the primary antagonist of the novel, despite his few appearances. Rowan and his brothers hate and fear him because of his abuse, and their obsession with keeping him from gaining their shares reveals how conniving and controlling he is. Additionally, his emotional and psychological presence in Rowan’s life deeply affects Rowan’s inner conflict. The critical words that Rowan repeats to himself are really echoes of the verbal and emotional abuse that Seth flung at all his sons, especially Rowan. Seth therefore becomes a symbol of the trauma that Rowan must overcome in order to achieve healing on his own mental health journey.

Mr. and Mrs. Gulian are Zahra’s parents, and Ani is her sister. Zahra’s parents are immigrants who moved to America and fell in love with American culture. They are supportive, loving parents who have worked hard, but for luxuries like vacation are unattainable for them because of Dreamland’s low wages. They are relatively flat characters; although Zahra tells Rowan about their past, her parents do not often appear as active characters. Instead, they serve as a background support system for Zahra, and their primary characterization is implicit in Zahra’s own traits and values.

Although Ani’s characterization is flat, she is a more thoroughly developed character than her parents. For example, the author makes it clear that Ani has her own life beyond Zahra and Rowan’s concerns, and she is bold when expressing her own opinions about the couple. Ani has Down syndrome, and Zahra is protective of her while simultaneously doing what she can to support her sister’s independence. Ani’s friendship with Rowan is instrumental in helping him to grow as a person, for she introduces him to new issues and teaches him what it means to have a real friend. She also becomes a confidante for Rowan, providing advice for how to win Zahra back after their first major break. Ani also arranges situations in which Zahra and Rowan can build their relationship, pushing them together with schemes like buying only two pumpkins for pumpkin carving so that Rowan and Zahra have to work together. Ani is portrayed as loving, fiercely protective, and mischievous. She enjoys her schemes to bring Zahra and Rowan together but rejects Rowan’s attempts at friendship once she discovers how badly he has hurt Zahra after her illness.