What the Eyes Don’t See Characters

Elliott is Mona’s husband. A Flint-area pediatrician like his wife, Elliott is portrayed throughout the book as gentle, thoughtful, supportive, and funny. Throughout the water crisis, Elliott repeatedly encouraged Mona to press on with her research and to speak out no matter the consequences.

Nina and Layla are Mona and Elliott’s young daughters.

Mark Valacak was the county health director during the Flint water crisis.

Jordan Dickinson was Representative Dan Kildee’s legislative director during the Flint water crisis.

Brad Wurfel was the spokesperson for the MDEQ during the Flint water crisis.

Lawrence Reynolds was the CEO of the Mott Children’s Health Center in Flint during the Flint water crisis. A decorated doctor and public health advocate, Reynolds served as a mentor and ally to Mona as she waged her battle against city, county, and state officials.

Allison Schnepp was a pediatric resident on Mona’s service at Hurley during the Flint water crisis. A kind and empathetic young mother, Allison helped Mona throughout her battle to bring awareness to what was happening in Flint.

Andy Leavitt was Senator Jim Ananich’s chief of staff during the Flint water crisis. Andy became a dedicated member of Mona’s team after they met during Mona’s presentation to a number of city and state officials in September of 2015.

Howard Croft was the head of the Flint public works department during the Flint water crisis. In the wake of the crisis, Croft was charged with a felony and removed from his post.

Natasha Henderson was the Flint city manager during the Flint water crisis. In the wake of the crisis, Henderson was charged with a felony and removed from her post.

Nuri Rufail Koutani was a revolutionary and leftist organizer who used the pseudonym Anwar during the 1930s and beyond. He was Mona’s maternal great-uncle and a legendary figure in her upbringing.

Dawood Hanna was Mona’s paternal grandfather.

Ron Fonger is a Flint-based journalist at The Flint Journal who helped Mona break her findings to the media.

Rick Sadler is a nutrition geographer at Michigan State University who helped Mona and Jenny harness geographic information systems (GIS) software to sharpen their study of which parts of Flint were most affected by the water crisis.

Eden Wells was the chief medical officer for the state of Michigan during the Flint water crisis. In the wake of the crisis, Wells was charged with involuntary manslaughter for her failure to act in the crisis.

Nick Lyon was a higher-up with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or the MDHHS, during the Flint water crisis. In the wake of the crisis, Lyon was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Dan Wyant was the head of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, or the MDEQ, during the Flint water crisis.

Debbie Stabenow is a senior United States senator from Michigan. A former social worker, Stabenow’s policies have long focused on advocating for children. When Mona met with Senator Stabenow in 2015, Stabenow vowed to help her advocate for the children of Flint.

Karen Weaver served as the mayor of Flint from 2015–2019.

Bunyan Bryant is a renowned environmental justice pioneer and a hero of Mona’s.

Mona's paternal grandmother, who helps Mona to feel connected to her family's Iraqi roots.