Silver Earrings
Despite how poor they are, when Koly gets married her mom gives her some special silver earrings as part of her dowry:The next morning Maa brought out the silver earrings she had worn as a bride. T...
Ganges River
The Ganges is a big deal to the Mehtas. In fact, it's the reason they have Hari marry Koly in the first place. They desperately need the money to bankroll a trip to the river, so they take Koly and...
Dowry Quilt
You might have caught on to the fact that Koly always busts out a dowry quilt whenever someone gets married. It turns out she learned how to embroider from her mom, and it's a family tradition: "li...
The Homeless Bird
If you found yourself wondering where the freaking titular bird was, you're not alone. The title sets us up to think that the book is about a bird, but there's nary a feathered friend in sight. Wel...