One Amazing Thing - Super Summary Study Guide

11/30/2014 3 One Amazing Thing  SuperSummary Study Guide Copyright 2013: SuperSummary  Plot Overview In an unnamed city on the west coast of the United States, an earthquake strikes. Nine people become trapped in the basement-level visa office of the Indian consulate. Seven of them are hoping to secure travel visas, while two are employees of the Indian government. These few people represent a variety of nationalities – including African- American, Caucasian, Chinese and Indian, along with a variety of beliefs, such as Islam and Hinduism. As a result, prejudice is a major theme in the opening scenes, with several of the characters judging each other based on outward appearances and personal bias. Cameron, an African-American who formerly served in the Army, becomes the unofficial leader of the group. His survival training skills help them stay alive while they wait for help. At first his authority is questioned by Tariq, a young Muslim in the group. Until they calm down and begin to help each other, there are a number of minor skirmishes and instances of people looking out primarily for themselves. To bring unity to the group and to keep them from harming each other, Uma suggests that they each take turns telling stories from their own lives. She is inspired by Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales , which she is reading for an English class when the earthquake first strikes. Although there is resistance to this idea at first, eventually everyone agrees to tell a story. They listen attentively during the storytelling. Between stories they share food, take bathroom breaks and assess their situation, which is rapidly deteriorating as the basement begins to flood and the smell of gas becomes stronger. Each person tells a story that reveals something about who he or she is, aswell as the reason for needing a travel visa to India. Their stories reveals the following. • Jiang, who grew up in Calcutta’s Chinatown, was in love with an Indian man.When for political reasons it was dangerous to be Chinese in India, Jiang left India and settled in the United States with a man of Chinese descent. • Mr. Pritchett, a Caucasian accountant, overcame a childhood of poverty and abandonment through a love and passion for numbers. He is bewildered by his wife’s recent behavior and hopes a trip to India will be a new start for them. • Malathi, an office worker at the Indian consulate, has been sent abroad after she behaved badly at her job in a salon in India. Upset over a rich woman’s treatment of a servant girl, Malathi used a chemical on the rich woman’s scalp which caused all of her hair to fall out. She considers this her one act of bravery. •

Tariq, a young Muslim man who was raised in America, has recently become critical of American culture and government and has become more engaged in his Muslim roots thanks to his girlfriend and a group of more radical friends. Lily, Jiang’s granddaughter, lived for a long time in the shadow of her older brother, who aspires to be a cancer researcher. She teaches herself how to playthe flute and becomes very good, giving concerts and winning acclaim. One dayshe simply feels she can no longer play; it is the same day she learns that her older brother has been failing at the university. • Mr. Mangalam tells the story of marrying into a wealthy family to raise his own family’s station. After becoming increasingly unhappy with his marriage, he begins an affair. His wife’s family exerts influence to threaten Mr. Mangalam and his mistress and, as a result, he has been sent to work at this post at the Indian consulate. • Mrs. Pritchett’s story is about a great emptiness she feels in her life, the result of not having children and not feeling a deep love for her husband. She attempted suicide to escape her life, but now wishes to lose herself in India and start again alone. • Cameron is journeying to India to meet a girl he has sponsored at an orphanage. It is the end of a long journey to absolve himself from a lifetime of guilt over his high school girlfriend’s abortion and the many atrocities he witnessed or participated in during his career in the army. • Uma, who suggested the telling of the stories, tells her story last. She is traveling to India to visit her parents, who have relocated there. She has been holding onto secrets for her parents and wants to unburden herself when she arrives. The tales keep the survivors panicking and being afraid and also help bring them together to reach a common goal. Although they have different backgrounds and personalities, each person has a chance to reveal his/her humanity through the stories, allowing their words to speak more strongly than their actions. Near the end of the storytelling, a severe aftershock hits, bringing down parts of the building above, damaging their water supply, and causing a gas leak. As Uma tells the final tale, the survivors hear noises from the floors above. It is either the building becoming increasingly unstable as a result of the aftershock, or the noise of a rescue crew approaching. When the final tale ends, the fate of the group is still unknown, butthey wait patiently to see what will happen next.

Chapter Summaries and Analysis Chapter 1 In the basement of the Indian consulate building in an unnamed city in the UnitedStates, a group of people wait to obtain travel visas. Uma Sinha has been waiting for hours, but seems no closer to her goal. As she waits, she reads Chaucer, wonders if her boyfriend Ramon loves her as much as she loves him, and studies the other peoplein the room: an older Chinese woman with a teenage granddaughter; an older Caucasian couple; an Indian man about twenty-five years old; and an AfricanAmericanman who appears to be in his fifties. Uma needs a visa to visit her parents, who havereturned to India after decades in the United States. They appear to be living a lushlifestyle in India, complete with amenities like servants and a car service. Uma is livingwith her boyfriend Ramon, a scientist at the university who has not been invited alongon the trip. Uma is trying to call Ramon when a rumble is felt throughout the building. Inan instant, the room buckles and chairs and other furniture go flying. The ceilingcollapses, the electricity flickers and fails, and the sound of running water can be heard.Uma’s arm has been injured and possibly broken. Chapter 2 The point of view switches to Cameron, the African-American male. The chaos brought on by the earthquake reminds him of his experiences at war. Out of breath, he reaches for his inhaler, which has only five doses left. Cameron clearly knows how to handle himself and how the group should behave in a dangerous situation. As someone from the group attempts to open a stuck door, Cameron stops him, warning that the building is now unstable and this could cause further damage. A younger Muslim man refuses to listen to Cameron and insists on attempting to open the door. Realizing that these actions will put all of them in danger, Cameron gives the young man a calculated blow on the back of his head and the young man crumples to the ground. Cameron apologizes to the other survivors in the room, who lay stunned in the dark. The point of view then switches to Malathi, an employee of the consulate. She offers a prayer for forgiveness, believing that her recent actions could have caused the earthquake. She doesn’t want to follow the traditional Indian path for women – getting married – but instead wants to return to India to open a beauty shop. Malathi feels guilty because she has had an ongoing flirtatious relationship with her boss, Mr. Mangalam, a married man. He has been showing favoritism to her over the other woman in the office.The day before, he had given her a box of candy; today, just before the earthquake struck, he kissed her. Malathi notices that Cameron is helping Uma, the young Indian woman with the broken arm, to her feet. As Mr. Mangalam emerges from his office,Malathi tells him that the

earthquake is their fault. Mr. Mangalam had tried to hide under his desk when the earthquake hit, but the desk ending up sliding and he was trapped against the wall. The deity his mother had given him when he went away to college was crushed. This seems symbolic to him. As a believer in karma, he agrees that he must be to blame for the earthquake. Cameron begins to take charge of the situation. He asks for a first aid kit for Uma and Malathi fetches it for him. Then he begins to make a list of things to be done – exits to be checked, food and water to be secured. Malathi begins to sweep up debris. Chapter 3 Uma takes aspirin, but that does little to help the pain of her broken arm. The youngman who challenged Cameron earlier is still passed out on the floor. Malathi reports thathis name is Tariq – a Muslim name, Uma realizes. She is embarrassed by thestereotypical thought that it is because he is Muslim that he has behaved violently.Cameron checks for other injuries, assigns jobs from his list, and gives them orders topool their food together. The older Chinese woman has a violent gash on her arm;Cameron enlists the woman’s granddaughter, Lily, to help him bandage the wound. Heexamines the room and realizes that they are trapped until a rescue team arrives or thestuck front door can be opened safely. To help bandage other wounds, Malathi is askedto give up her sari. She does so unwillingly, putting on a sweatshirt and waiting in Mr.Mangalam’s office, ashamed, until she is coaxed to rejoin them.Tariq awakes, realizes that Cameron knocked him out, and Uma overhears him make athreat to kill Cameron.Mrs. Pritchett, the Caucasian woman, produces two Xanax pills and gives them to Uma,who takes them and drifts into sleep.Tariq realizes it is after seven p.m., and his tussle with Cameron has caused him tomiss his evening prayers. He had missed the earlier prayer because he was ashamedto take out his rug and pray in public. Tariq reflects that, growing up in America, he washardly devout. The September 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan have led him tohave arguments with friends about what Muslims really believe. Also, he has beeninfluenced by Farah, a devout Muslim who came from India on a scholarship to study in America. She has challenged his lack of knowledge about Muslim culture and his blindacceptance of American ideals.Cameron calls for them all to come forward and have something to eat. He informsthem that he is a United States Army veteran. Tariq challenges his authority, admittingto himself that he wants to be the one to save them somehow. Chapter 4 Cameron portions out the food between them with the help of Lily, the teenage girl. Hefeels that he has been unjustly accused by Tariq, who seems to have a chip on hisshoulder. With his childhood poverty and the difficult circumstances of his own life, Cameron wants to laugh at Tariq’s accusations. However, he has studied Gandhi andfeels bad for knocking Tariq out, even though he knew it could not be avoided.Malathi reveals that Mr. Mangalam has a bathroom in his office. While she was in hisoffice changing out of her sari, Malathi explored Mr. Mangalam’s private bathroom,which she and the other office girls had long resented him for. She found nothing of note in the office and went through his file cabinets, where she discovered somethingshe decided to keep a secret until later.The discovery of a bathroom with running water lifts everyone’s spirits. Cameron ordersall available bowls and containers to be filled with water. When it is her turn in thebathroom,

Uma studies herself in the mirror and begins to wonder about the lives of her companions and why they want to travel to India. As the others rest, Mr. Pritchett and Uma volunteer to keep watch. In the dark, he talksuncomfortably with Uma, revealing that his name (Lance) was after Lancelot, althoughhe is an accountant and has never felt especially adventurous. He tells Uma only thathe and his wife are going to India to stay in a palace, but he does not say that Mrs.Pritchett recently tried to kill herself. Mr. Pritchett reflects to himself that his wife hasbeen a changed person since she was released from the hospital, doped up on pillsprescribed by a psychiatrist and doing only sloppy housekeeping at best. He found anarticle about old palaces in India converted into hotels and showed it to Mrs. Pritchett.Because it was the first spark of life he had seen in her since her release, he bookedthe trip for them.Uma takes Mr. Pritchett’s hand, which alarms him, but she is only guiding his hand tofeel the carpet, which is wet. Mr. Pritchett wants to wake everyone immediately, butUma keeps him quiet, insisting that everyone needs sleep and the knowledge won’tbenefit them in any way. Chapter 5 Water continues to seep in to the room where they are trapped. Cameron asks himself,“What would you give up to save these people?” With no sign of rescue, he believes it istime to try to open the door to the hallway. The door doesn’t open by simply pulling, sothey make a human chain, holding onto each other and pulling simultaneously. Thedoor eventually comes open. Cameron urges caution as the building may shift, butTariq, refusing to listen, runs out into the hallway. Soon they hear his scream amid acrush of falling debris.The ceiling has collapsed, trapping Tariq. Lily is the only person small enough to crawlthrough an opening in the rubble. With a small flashlight she climbs the unstable pile of debris and locates Tariq’s shoe. His foot moves slightly, so she knows he is alive. Shewaits with him until others can clear the rubble to reach them.

Mr. Mangalam, happy to cede all authority to Cameron, begins to follow his orders tomove debris. He has been sneaking into his office to sip from a bottle of Wild Turkeyhiding in his file cabinet and then going to the bathroom for mouthwash.When Tariq is reached hours later, he is conscious but scraped up. Lily holds his hand,rubbing salve into the cuts on his face. She brings him his Quran for comfort. Cameronannounces that the stairwell is blocked, and they will be unable to use this for an exit.Tariq hears this and feels ashamed for his actions. He tries again to pray but finds hecannot remember the words.Mrs. Pritchett is stunned to hear about the blocked passage because she feels she’smeant to go to India. She remembers a time much earlier in her life when she baked apeach pie and ate it with a friend. She plans to go to India for other reasons than to seea palace, although her husband is not aware of this. She tries to take four Xanax but her husband stops her. She accuses him of being uncaring and he feels she is ungratefulfor how he has watched over her since her suicide attempt. He snatches the pill bottleaway from her, embarrassed that the others have heard them fighting. Malathi confrontsMr. Pritchett, insisting that he return his wife’s medication. This starts an argumentbetween Mr. Mangalam and Malathi about interfering in other people’s lives. Angry,Malathi tells everyone that Mr. Mangalam has a secret stash of bourbon in his office andhints that he has behaved unprofessionally toward her. Mr. Mangalam is angry at thispublic humiliation, especially after the nice kiss they shared that morning and he hitsher. Malathi cries out and Lily gets involved, swearing at him and scratching his face.Mr. Mangalam pushes Lily to the floor. Tariq begins hitting Mr. Mangalam and he fightsback against Tariq. The others cry out, horrified, and Mr. Mangalam fades intounconsciousness. Chapters 1-5 Analysis In the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, nine people are trapped in the basementof the Indian consulate where they have been waiting for visas. Divakaruni revealsimportant traits about the characters one by one, which allows the reader to slowlyabsorb the facts about nine different people.Two of these people are seriously injured – an older Chinese woman, who has a gashon her arm, and Uma, a college student, who has a broken arm. The earthquake bringsstrong emotions to the surface immediately – beyond fear and panic, which perhaps areto be expected. Two men – Tariq, a young Muslim, and Cameron, a fiftyish African- American – jostle for a leadership role. Immediately, prejudices and suspicions rise tothe surface. It is one thing to be seated next to a Muslim or African-American manduring the regular course of business, but another thing entirely to be trapped with thesemen in the aftermath of a natural disaster. These thoughts occur to several of thecharacters, including Uma, who will soon emerge as a voice of reason. Uma is ashamed of herself for these thoughts.

The situation is very bleak and uncertain and the characters do not act in a unified manner, but rather as nine people with nine different agendas. Soon, however, Cameron emerges as an authority figure. He makes the best use of their meager resources and develops a plan that will provide for them until they can be rescued. Tariqthwarts the plan twice, however, believing he can be the hero and lead the others tosafety. Instead, he injures himself by rushing into the unstable hallway as the ceilingabove collapses. His actions not only endanger himself but cause others to risk their lives to rescue him. His youth and hotheadedness can be seen as liabilities.Cultural differences are clearly apparent not only in the actions of Tariq, but also in theworkers of the Indian consulate, Mr. Mangalam and Malathi. Earlier in the day, thesetwo had exchanged a passionate kiss and their actions seemed to be leading them toan affair, but the earthquake changes this. Believing that their illicit kiss has brought judgment upon them, Malathi and Mr. Mangalam begin an argument which results inphysical blows as others join in to separate them.Divakaruni, meanwhile, has been floating in and out of various character’s points of view. It is Uma whose point of view most pulls the reader along, as she is able to viewthe others objectively. She has a natural curiosity about her companions and thiscompels her to wonder about their various reasons for needing a travel visa. Chapter 6 Cameron rushes to break up the fight and has to use his inhaler again, although he hasvery few doses left. Tariq, resentful at his intrusion, punches Cameron in the nose. Tariqhas to be subdued by the others and Lily leads him away. Trying to take charge of thesituation, Uma addresses the group. In order to keep them from fighting or panicking,she proposes that they each tell an important story from their lives. It takes someconvincing to get everyone to agree.The Chinese grandmother (Jiang) offers to go first. This is a shock, since everyone,even her own granddaughter, believes she can only speak Mandarin. Before she canbegin, they establish some ground rules – no interruptions, no questioning, no judgment. Jiang begins her story. She grew up in Calcutta’s Chinatown, in a house wasfronted by a brick “spirit wall” which kept others from looking in. Behind the wall was acourtyard, a banquet hall and beautiful collectibles, all of which Jiang was taught tokeep a secret from the non-Chinese. In 1962, twenty-five-yearold Jiang was runningthe family business, Feng’s Fine Footwear. She was happy with her job and glad not tobe married. Then a handsome young Indian man came into the store with his younger sister and bought three pairs of expensive shoes. Jiang dated the man, Mohit Das,secretly for months, before he asked Jiang’s father for permission to marry. Her father refused on the grounds of their different cultures, but relented when he saw Jiang’stears. He asked them to wait a year to make sure it was what they wanted. Mohit’sfamily, on the other hand, refused to approve of the marriage and Mohit moved out of their home. Then men appeared at Feng’s Fine Footwear to threaten the business andthe family if Jiang continued to see Mohit. Jiang’s father confined her to their home.Mohit and Jiang, still very much in love, made plans to elope. When the Chinese armyattacked an Indian patrol in the Himalayas, war between India and China broke out. TheChinese community in Calcutta suffered. The business is closed. Jiang and her father,who had official birth certificates, were able to leave. Mohit warned Jiang to leaveCalcutta or be sent to an internment camp.Jiang’s father, desperate to get his children out of Calcutta,

arranged for a man namedMr. Chan to take them by boat to the United States. Jiang was quickly married to Mr.Chan. Her brother was sent to Australia. On board the boat to the United States, Jiangbecame pregnant. In the United States, the family settled in Chinatown, bought a smallgrocery store and raised two children. Jiang was reunited with her brother years later and now has plans to go to India with her brother. Chapter 7 After Jiang’s story, the others continue with their specific chores, each thinking of thestory they have just heard. Mr. Mangalam recalls how he had been in love, but thememory has been almost wiped out. He checks the office phones, which are still out. Inthe bathroom, Mrs. Pritchett considers taking one of the Xanax pills she has beenhiding, but decides to save the pills for later. When they gather again, Jiang reveals thatshe has an amendment to her story – to not tell it would be to give a falserepresentation of her life.She continues her story, saying that Mr. Chan was very understanding of her situation,realizing that she must have been in love with someone else in India. He did not forcehimself on her – it was she who offered herself to him. It wasn’t until years later, whenthey had established themselves in American, that she realized she loved him.Lily volunteers to tell her story next, but Cameron asks her to share her story later. Amused, she agrees. Mr. Pritchett instead offers to go next. Chapter 8 Mr. Pritchett’s story is from his childhood. He was raised by a single, working mother and his earliest memories are of his mother sleeping on the couch in her underwear. Hefed himself cereal or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and spent the hours while shewas sleeping watching television. On weekends he and his mother slept late and readlibrary books. Then his neighbor, who worked part-time in a school cafeteria, broughthim a stolen math workbook and Lance was hooked. It turned out he had a talent for math. His mother and Mary Lou were friends, and Lance was friends with Mary Lou’sson, Jimmy, until Mary Lou and Jimmy moved away. When he was eight years old, Lance found a small kitten when he was playing in theempty field behind his apartment building. He wanted to keep the kitten as a pet, but hismother’s boyfriend Marvin didn’t like pets, so Lance was not allowed to keep it. Insteadof getting rid of the cat, Lance kept it in an abandoned freezer in the backyard, linedwith his own clothes. When Marvin was gone, Lance would prop open the freezer door so the kitten could breathe. One day, he returned to find the freezer door shut and thekitten suffocated. He was devastated, but his mother and Marvin didn’t notice. After his mother died when he is in the fourth grade, Lance was sent to live in a foster home. His foster parents were decent people who kept him well-fed and clothed andmade sure his homework was finished. He went on to compete in math contests andmake a name for himself, but the memory of his mother reading to him in bed stillreduced him to tears.When he finishes his story, everyone is quiet. The noise of water gurgling grows louder.Cameron orders them to roll up their pant legs and sit on top of the employee tables,since the water continues to rise. Mr. Mangalam passes around sugar packets andeveryone takes some greedily. Cameron brings back tablecloths from the storage areaand they

wrap themselves in the tablecloths like blankets.Mrs. Pritchett remembers that when she learned they were not able to have children,she wanted to get a dog, but Mr. Pritchett had refused, saying that it would dirty thecarpet. He finally relented, but when they went to look at dogs in a pet store, they had towalk by cat cages and he began to hyperventilate. Now she is angry that he wouldn’t tellher the truth.Lily again offers to tell her story and Cameron again asks her to wait. Malathi offers totell her story, if Mr. Mangalam will translate from Tamil. Chapter 9 When Malathi failed tenth grade for the second time, her parents decided it was timeshe get married. In order to take a beautiful photograph for the matchmaker, Malathiwas sent to Miss Lola’s Lovely Ladies Salon, where she received the bridal package.Her parents’ plan backfired, however, because Malathi decided she would rather become an employee in the salon than get married. Her parents were upset, but Lolagladly took Malathi as one of her employees and her parents relented, believing thatsoon she will tire of working in the salon and be ready to marry.One of Lola’s customers, Mrs. Balan, was excessively wealthy and haughty. At first sheonly allowed Lola to work on her hair, although eventually she began to trust Malathiwith her care as well. At the salon, Mrs. Balan complained about her son Ravi, whowanted to help the poor in their city rather than become a businessman. The Balansgave him money to open a school and Ravi began tutoring students. Eventually he alsobegan to tutor the Balans’ servants. One night Mrs. Balan witnessed Ravi tutoringNirmala, a servant girl. When the girl got something right, Ravi would hug her. Enraged,

Mrs. Balan slapped Nirmala’s cheek and chastised her son for mingling with a servantgirl. Ravi threatened his mother that if she sent Nirmala away, he would return to America. Mrs. Balan seemed to relent and allowed Nirmala to stay. She even broughther into Lola’s salon for a full beauty treatment, saying that Nirmala was going toaccompany her to visit her relative Mr. Gopalan, a wealthy bachelor playboy. None of them saw Nirmala again; according to gossip, Mr. Gopalan took a liking to Nirmala andshe ended up staying with him as his new girl. Mrs. Balan returned, happy to haveNirmala out of her way.When she next visited the beauty salon, Malanthi sought revenge on behalf of Nirmala. A botched hair treatment caused Mrs. Balan to lose her hair and Malanthi to lose her job. When Malathi returned, shamefacedly, to explain her actions, Lola surprised her bybeing pleased. She handed Malathi a pouch full of money and a letter of recommendation so Malathi could get a job overseas. Chapter 10 The others discuss Malathi’s story with interest, speculating on whether Ravi lovedNirmala and why Nirmala stayed with Gopalan, and wondering how women could be socruel to each other.Meanwhile the ceiling above them has been creaking. Cameron warns them that theceiling is likely to come down in the other room, beyond the partition. When thishappens, they will run for the doorways and try to protect themselves there. Mr. Pritchettbegins to fantasize about locking himself in Mr. Mangalam’s bathroom to light acigarette. When he goes to the bathroom, however, Mr. Mangalam follows him, and herealizes the smell of smoke will give him away. Mr. Pritchett decides to wait until later tosmoke. Chapter 6-10 Analysis As a way to distract her companions from the tension of the situation, Uma suggeststhat they each take turns telling an important story from their lives. Uma is no doubtinspired by The Canterbury Tales , which she was reading when the earthquake struck. Although there is some discussion about the idea, the others agree readily, perhapsfrom the relief of having a tangible task at hand: to speak, to listen. Immediately, thestories have a calming effect on the group, which has to this point been fractured withdiffering opinions and personalities. While the building is still creaking dangerouslyaround them, with water rising from the floor and the smell of gas growing stronger, thegroup settles down to hear each other’s stories.The stories in these chapters are varied in theme and scope, but each instantly revealsa deep level of humanity in the speakers. Jiang tells the story of growing up inCalcutta’s Chinatown, where she fell in love with an Indian man. Their relationshipseemed likely to succeed despite cultural barriers and his family’s strong disapproval, but political unrest between China and India made it necessary for her to flee

thecountry. Although she left her first true love and married someone else, Jiang’s story isnot one of despair or regret. She later clarifies that she did grow to love her husbandand has nothing bad to report about him. Now a widow, her unstated reason for returning to India must bear more weight than nostalgia alone. If there is anything todiscover about her first love, she will surely do that.Mr. Pritchett’s story is, perhaps strangely, one his wife does not seem to know. Hischildhood in poverty with a loving, if somewhat neglectful, mother has shaped him intothe person he is today: an accountant, cool, efficient and emotionally detached. In Mr.Pritchett’s story, his relationship with his mother deteriorates when she acquires a live-inboyfriend and begins to focus on him. When he discovers a small kitten in a nearbyempty field, he is not allowed to keep it. He begins secretly caring for the kitten on hisown until one day, most likely by accident, the kitten suffocates. Mr. Pritchett isdevastated and feels blank inside. His mother dies not long after and he grows up infoster care, provided for physically but detached emotionally. His wife, mulling over hisstory, considers that it has been hard for her not to have children, but Mr. Pritchettwould not even allow her to adopt a dog as a companion.Malathi’s story is one of a young girl defying the expectations of her parents and her culture. Instead of making herself available for marriage, Malathi decided she wanted towork at a beauty salon in her hometown in India, where she felt a deep camaraderiewith the other women. When she took revenge on a wealthy woman who broughtdisgrace upon a servant girl, Malathi was forced to leave the salon and her hometown,although she hoped to return to India one day to open a salon of her own. Malathi’sstory reveals her innate sense of justice and sympathy for the underdog – but she hasnot been behaving this way in the United States, where she has been excited to see her flirtatious relationship with Mr. Mangalam, a married man, develop further. As they resume their chores, following the routine Cameron has established to conservetheir resources, the stories continue to resonate inside the minds of each listener. Chapter 11 Tariq tells his story. He was sitting in the campus quad with some of his Muslim friendslooking at girls when he received a phone call from his mother, Ammi. He reflects thatthe family janitorial service has not been doing well since the September 11 attacks. Ammi was calling with terrible news: His father and Hanif, assistant manager of the janitorial service, were arrested that morning at work, and she was not able to learnanything about the arrest. In the days that followed, Ammi and Tariq called on friendsfor help, but no one was able (or willing) to help. They hired a lawyer at great expense.Finally, without explanation, Tariq’s father was released and returned home. He wasquiet at first but beginning to return to normal when he suffered a stroke that paralyzedhis left side. Tariq believed the government is to blame for what happened to his father, but he soon realized that he has no legal recourse and to pursue the matter would bringmore trouble upon his family. He considered moving to India with his family and to bewith Farah, but his friend Ali offered to help him out. Ali belonged to a group of Muslimswho helped each other out and found other Muslims employment, he said. Tariq visitedhis house to find it full of handmade signs and pamphlets. At this point, the ceiling collapses in the next room with a massive crack. Everyonerushes to the doorways to take cover, and the water is now up to their calves. Their remaining

water containers are now filled with debris. They check the bathroom, butwater is no longer coming from the tap. Through the hole above where the ceilingcollapsed, the can now see a thin beam of sunlight from the floor above. Cameronassesses the damage and finds a human body in the debris. He does not tell the otherswhat he has found.Tariq resumes his story, saying he doesn’t know if Ali and his friends were terrorists. Lilysays that if he comes back to America, he can stay with her family. Chapter 12 It is finally Lily’s turn to tell her story. As a child, she says, she was a “pleaser”. Shelived in the shadow of her brother Mark, who had an aptitude for science and wanted tobe a cancer researcher. Because her parents didn’t seem to notice her when she wasbehaving like a good girl, Lily began dressing in black, disobeying her parents, ignoringher chores and hanging around with bad influences. Although her parents were upsetand grounded her, Lily didn’t want to go back to the boredom of being a good girl.When Mark gave Lily his old flute, Lily began to go the park to practice using his oldsheet music. She spent hours practicing and became very good, playing selections fromBach, Handel and Mozart. Lily played for Mark, who told her she had a gift. She playedfor her parents, who are stunned. She began to give concerts, and her parents andaudience members heaped praise on her. She put away her dark clothes.However, one day before a major music competition, Lily woke up feeling a strangeheaviness and didn’t want to practice her flute. She called Mark, who was just wakingup although it was past noon. She became very worried about him. During the concert,Lily froze and could not finish her piece. She told her parents she was not going to doany more concerts and that she thought Mark was in trouble. Her parents weredisappointed in her and in Mark, who they found out had been failing classes, drinkingand hanging around with bad influences.Lily went to the park one more time and played until her lips hurt. She felt hands on her face and found that the hands belonged to a boy who had Down’s syndrome. Shecontinued playing, and more kids with Down’s syndrome sat and listened to her.

Uma remembers that her father had played the guitar when he was in college and her mother had met him as an adoring fan. She recalls that her parents had even moresurprises in store for her when she was in college.The survivors eat the last of the food, including what people had previously beenwithholding – carrot sticks, a wheat roll, truffles. When Mr. Pritchett again heads for thebathroom, Cameron demands that he turn in his lighter and cigarettes and Mr. Pritchettcomplies, angrily. Mrs. Pritchett, lost in her own thoughts, remembers that her friendDebbie’s father had agreed to let them run his bakery for six months. At that point Mrs.Pritchett had begun dating the man who would soon be her husband, and she turnsdown the offer. Now she worries that her husband is still planning to smoke in thebathroom, where he has been trying to push shut the door, explaining that he isconstipated. Mr. Mangalam interrupts him in the bathroom, catching him in the act of trying to light a smuggled cigarette. When the two men return to the group, they aresoaked. They get out of their wet clothes and try to warm up. Cameron asks Lily to playher flute. She plays a short song as the last few rays of light die away. Chapter 13

Mr. Mangalam begins his story. When he was a child, an astrologist predicted that hewould bring fortune to his family through his face. As a result, he was spoiled amongsthis siblings. He attended university, but suspected this would not be enough to lift hisfamily’s circumstances, as they were expecting. While in college, he joined a club tomeet influential people and impressed them with his intelligent comments – the result of calculated research. He was also athletic and good-looking, and soon met Naina, thedaughter of a government official. He confessed love for her, but in the next breathacknowledged that he was unworthy of her. This romantic outburst had its desired effectand Naina begged her father to allow the marriage. Her father eventually agreed,insisting only that Mr. M. keep his daughter happy. After their wedding, Naina changed,ordering him around, buying expensive things for herself on her own allowance andreminding him of his low circumstances. She refused to attend his sister’s wedding andrefused to allow his parents to stay with them during a visit. Mr. Mangalam’s parents,understanding the insult, changed their plans to visit.Realizing his marriage was a mistake, Mr. Mangalam confided in Latika, an accountantin his office. Eventually their friendship became an affair. Mr. Mangalam told Naina hewanted a divorce and requested a transfer to a smaller office in the countryside wherehe could eventually start over with Latika. Naina responded by making a phone call, andthe next day Latika was arrested on a charge of embezzlement and Mr. Mangalamfound out that his transfer had been denied. Latika, frightened, moved away. Mr.Mangalam, still trapped in his marriage, got revenge on his wife by flirting and havingaffairs with her friends in order to shame her. As a result, he was given a governmentpost in the United States and was able to live far away from his wife.Cameron finds he cannot focus on the story – he’s having a vision of Seva at anorphanage. Every time he comes close to her, she runs away before he can reach her. As Mr. Mangalam talks, a light fixture begins to slowly sway overhead. Mr. Mangalamapologizes for how he treated Malathi and she accepts his apology.Cameron has a coughing fit and uses the last dose of his inhaler. Chapter 11-13 Analysis The stories in these chapters, which continue despite the deterioration of their basement location, each show the weight of familial expectations and responsibilities,especially as relates to children and their parents.Tariq’s story shows a man at odds with two cultures: America, where his family haslived and benefited financially through their business, and Muslim India, where he hasdeep roots through his family and his girlfriend. After the September 11 attacks, Tariq’sfamily’s janitorial business begins to flounder when Americans are hesitant to hireMuslims, even those who have been in the United States for years. Then his father anda worker at the janitorial company are arrested and detained with no explanation, clearlyfor being suspects in terrorist activity. There is no evidence that Tariq’s father isinvolved with terrorism or extremist groups, but while his family works to free him, Tariqhimself becomes more and more uneasy of American culture and aware that he is anoutsider. His girlfriend Farah begins his education about Muslim culture, and

a group of young Muslims takes Tariq under his wing. It is not clear if Tariq has plans to beinvolved in extremist actions, but he does not seem to struggle against this idea. Clearlythe Tariq of the opening chapters is distrustful of others and yet looking misguidedly tobe praised for heroic actions.Lily, the youngest member of the group, nevertheless has a powerful story. She haslived in her brother’s shadow for too long, and to attract notice from her parents, shebegins to wear black and act out. When her brother gives her his flute, Lily now has away to express her own individuality through music and also attract her parents’approval. Her mastery of the flute points to an obvious innate skill but also dedication –it took many hours of private practice for her to reach an accomplished level. Lily’ssuccess is tied to her brother’s, however; when he begins to fall apart at his university,she loses the desire to play the flute, causing both siblings to disappoint their parents.Lily’s flute-playing is not destined for concert halls, it appears, but she is thrilled to playfor an audience of Down’s syndrome children and also plays a song for the grouptrapped in the consulate basement.Mr. Mangalam’s story is also one of familial expectations. As a very young child, he ispronounced the key to his family’s prosperity. He acknowledges that he grew upspoiled, getting the very best while his sisters went without. But although he succeedsacademically, Mr. Mangalam is burdened by the fear that he will disappoint his family.This causes him to marry a woman he admits he does not truly love, and then to spendyears being belittled by her for having less money and poor relations. When he cannot escape his marriage to be with a woman he truly does love, he abandons his moralsand tries to exact humiliation upon his wife. Until the moment he tells this story, Mr.Mangalam does not seem to feel any remorse for his actions. After he tells the story, heapologizes to Malanthi for trying to make her just one more woman in a string of womenwho mean nothing to him. Chapter 14 Mrs. Pritchett begins her story by describing a day in her comfortable, modern home asshe prepares a dinner for her husband’s clients. She has lunch in a café, where shesees an older couple, very much in love. The man helps the woman out of her coat, andMrs. Pritchett realizes this kind of love is missing from her own life. Although she lacksfor nothing, her life is essentially empty. After dinner with her husband and his clients,she goes to the guest room to lie down and takes an entire bottle of sleeping pills. Butinstead of dying, she vomits up the pills and is brought to the hospital.In the hospital, Mrs. Pritchett is depressed. An Indian nurse visits her, and soon Mrs.Pritchett is questioning her own actions. She returns to the scene she has beenremembering throughout the book, of being an eighteen-year-old sitting at a table withher friend, Debbie. Mrs. Pritchett gave up her chance to run the bakery and insteadmoved to Tulsa with Mr. Pritchett. As she finishes telling this story, the nurseencourages her to stop blaming her husband and herself but instead to accept thecircumstances of her life and change from the inside out. The nurse, it turns out, is likelyone of Mrs. Pritchett’s hallucinations.Mrs. Pritchett confesses that she jumped at the chance to go to India when her husbandsuggested it. Once they arrived, she was planning to leave her husband and begin anew life in India.The story makes Uma think about Ramon. This time, instead of seeing his face, shepictures an Indian man and wonders if this is the destiny waiting for her India.Cameron, his chest aching, realizes he can no longer put off telling his own story.

Chapter 15 Cameron’s story begins in the recent past, when he was on his way to volunteer as agardener for a hospice center. On the bus, he meets a man named Jeff, who heconsiders to be a holy man. Cameron is holding onto guilt from something thathappened thirty before, when he met a girl named Imani at a party and began arelationship with her. Cameron was on track to attend a university after graduation, butImani was content to work at Burger King and attend a community college. When Imanibecame pregnant, Cameron insisted that she get an abortion. Furious, Imani broke upwith him. As she walked away for the last time, Cameron believed that she has put acurse on him when she said, “No matter where you run, you be ending with ashes inyour mouth.” Later, he learned that she did have an abortion. In college, Cameron developed asthma and lost his athletic scholarship. He quit schooland joined the army at the end of the Vietnam War. He spent his career in the army,often serving overseas and witnessing a number of atrocities. After the war, hevolunteered at the hospice center and other places hoping to cleanse himself of his guiltand make a positive difference. He keeps meeting Jeff at the hospice center and theybecome friends. Jeff encourages him to sponsor a child in another country. Cameron isassigned to a girl named Seva at an orphanage in India. After years of writing letters, hedecides to visit her, filling his suitcase with toys. Chapter Sixteen Cameron’s story is interrupted by a powerful aftershock. Everyone rushes for thedoorway. Uma realizes that Cameron has not joined them in the doorway, but isshivering on the table, fighting for each breath. The smell of gas has been growingsteadily stronger and the water continues to rise. Soon the water will be as high as thetabletops.Uma begins her story by saying that she chose a college far away from her parents.From above, the survivors hear sounds that could mean a rescue is at hand. Theydecide to try to make contact with people above. They work together, moving a sofa tostand on. They scream but do not hear a response. Believing the gas will soon kill them,Uma continues her story. At her college in Texas, Uma had weekly phone calls with her parents. One day, her father told her he was going to ask her mother for a divorce, that he only stayed with her mother for Uma’s sake and now she was an adult and no longer needed them. Heasked her not to say anything to her mother until the next week.Uma reacted to this news drastically. She stopped attending class, indulged inexpensive meals and began acting recklessly. When Jeri, a woman in her kickboxingclass, announced that she had broken up with her boyfriend and was moving to NewYork, Uma offered to drive. She cleaned out her savings account and she and Jeribegan driving. Soon they picked up a hitchhiker, a young man named Ripley. Theydrank and smoked marijuana, and Jeri and Ripley had sex in the back seat of Uma’scar. When they stopped later that night, the three of them witnessed the aurora borealis,which had a cleansing effect on Uma. She changed course and returne to her collegedorm, dropping off Jeri and Ripley along the way. She saw that she has a number of missed calls from her father, and when she returned his calls, he revealed that he hadmade a mistake and will not be seeking a divorce. Uma promised not to tell her mother.In the time since that day, Uma has distanced herself from her parents, who now live inIndia. On this visit, she plans to come clean with them.

There are more sounds from overhead, but it is impossible to tell if these sounds are asign of impending rescue or impending collapse. Plaster falls on them, covering them inits dust. Uma finishes her story by saying that years later, Jeri tracked her down. Nowdying, Jeri wanted to know if what they saw in the sky was the aurora borealis or afigment of her imagination. Uma assured her that it was the aurora borealis and Jerireplied that she was happy that in her life she was able to see this one amazing thing.The clanking continues overhead, and they wait to see if the sounds signal rescue or catastrophe. Chapter 14-16 Analysis In these chapters, the situation becomes much more dire, and it is clear that somethingwill happen soon – death or rescue. The stories they have told now serve as a glue tobind the disparate group members together. In fact, although there is real cause for panic, it is inconceivable that each person would not have a chance to tell a story.Mrs. Pritchett’s story is one of emptiness. Her marriage has not fulfilled her, she has nochildren, and her easy, comfortable life has bored her to the point of suicide. After theattempt failed, a chance encounter (which may have been a hallucination) with anIndian woman begins to give her life some perspective. Instead of blaming others, shemust realize that she had an active role in her own choices. She reveals the reason shehas agreed to a trip to India – amongst the country’s billion people, she plans to shedher old life and begin anew.Cameron’s story is one of guilt over his child, who was aborted more than thirty yearsearlier. It is only through the sponsoring of an Indian child, Seva, that he has recapturedsome of the purpose in his life. He feels a deep sense of responsibility to his fellowsurvivors, perhaps believing that his own guilt has followed him to this situation and hisown actions can save the others and absolve him of his guilt. He grows increasinglyweak as his story progresses, having used all the medication in his inhaler. A powerfulaftershock interrupts his story and Cameron is unable to move to safety with the others.It is not clear that he will survive, even if a rescue crew were to appear on the sceneimmediately.Uma’s story ends the tales as the group reaches its uncertain destination at the end of along journey. Hers is a story of breaking away from the parental mold, despite a happychildhood. She purposely chose a college far away from her parents and now that theyhave relocated to India, she lives half a world away. Yet even in college she felt closelyentwined with her parents’ lives; when her father told her he would be asking her mother for a divorce, Uma’s reaction was drastic. Without the safety and stability of her homelife (even she no longer live at home), she felt unmoored and ready to embark on a new journey. Now, although she loves her American boyfriend Ramon, it is not clear if shewill return to America or if the trip to India will be a launching point to yet another journey in her life.

The story ends with the fate of the group in the visa office still unknown. Do the soundsabove signal impending doom or imminent rescue? Although that is left up to thereader’s interpretation, it is clear that the group is in a far better place mentally andemotionally than the moment the earthquake hit. The tragedy that they haveexperienced and the healing stories they shared have made them more accepting of each other, and of the fate that awaits them. Major Character Analysis Uma Uma is a young college student traveling to India to visit her parents. She is in love witha man named Ramon, a scientist. When the earthquake strikes, her arm is seriouslywounded or broken. While she was waiting to obtain her visa, she was reading GeoffreyChaucer’s Canterbury Tales; this gives her the idea, later on, for each of them to tell astory to pass the time while they wait for rescue. It is ultimately this story telling thatproves to be their salvation; without it, the group would have continued to bicker, usephysical force against each other and succumb to stereotypes about gender, race,nationality and religion. Uma’s own story reveals that she is a very stable girl who oncedid something unpredictable and potentially dangerous, yet that experience allowed her to see at least one amazing thing in her life. Cameron Cameron, an African-American who is retired from a military career, immediately putshis survival training to use and assumes control after the earthquake. He is not afraid touse physical force to keep others from behaving foolishly, which is witnessed when heknocks Tariq unconscious in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. Although he isphysically strong in many ways, Cameron’s asthma and dependence on an inhaler weakens him as the story continues. He seems to feel it is his duty to save this group of people and he wonders what he might give up to make sure that the others survive. Hehas been searching, through the help of a holy man, for a way to absolve himself fromlifelong guilt over his high school girlfriend’s abortion. As his breathing becomeslabored, it is unclear at the end whether Cameron could still survive if a rescue crewwas indeed approaching, but Cameron himself seems to be content with this. Hismission was to bring the group to safety, and he has fulfilled – or at least, very nearly –this duty. Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett As the only married couple in this group, the Pritchetts have spent many years of married life together but still seem as if they do not know each other or how to makeeach other happy. Mr. Pritchett’s story reveals a childhood of poverty and neglect; as anadult he seems perfectly suited to not having children or even a pet. He has asuccessful career as an accountant and enjoys the amenities of his success. Mrs.Pritchett clearly feels as if she has taken a wrong turn in life; her suicide attempt was away to remove herself from what she saw as a painful, empty existence.

Over and over,her thoughts return to a moment when she was eighteen years old eating a piece of peach cobbler with a girlfriend. She had a chance to run a bakery with this friend, butended up marrying instead. She no longer believes that suicide is the answer, but wouldlike to start over in life. Although the circumstances of the earthquake and being trappedunderground affect all of the survivors and serve to bring them closer together, Mr. and Mrs. Pritchett do not rekindle a romance with each other. At best, they come to a clearer understanding of who they have married. Tariq Tariq, a college-aged Muslim, is the youngest male of the group and acts outaggressively. He is not willing to cede authority to Cameron and is ready at any time tocome to blows when he has been challenged or to protect a woman’s honor. Hisexperiences in life – especially the arrest of his father for no other reason than hisnationality and religion – have taught him to be distrustful of others and also to seek theapproval of others for his own actions. He wants desperately to be admired; it is thisdesire that causes him to behave recklessly at times, putting himself and others indanger. He may not yet be involved in an extremist Muslim group, but it is clear thatTariq at the beginning of the story feels ready to be a martyr. By the end of his timetrapped in the basement, Tariq seems calmer and more in control of his actions. Mr. Mangalam / Malathi Mr. Mangalam and Malathi are the two Indian consulate employees who are trappedwith their clients after the earthquake. Each of them feels a sense of responsibility for the earthquake; only moments before, they had kissed in Mr. Mangalam’s office,although he is married and she is well aware of the fact. They are both, as revealed intheir stories, working in America as a punishment for bad behavior – Malathi for burningall the hair off the scalp of a haughty upper-class woman, and Mr. Mangalam for havingan affair and embarrassing his wealthy wife’s family. Although they had allowed their flirtation to advance to the point of a passionate kiss, neither of them shows any sign of true affection for each other in the aftermath of the earthquake. Both, given the chance,would happily return to India if it meant they could begin new lives for themselves. Jiang / Lily Jiang, an elderly Chinese woman, stuns her granddaughter when she reveals that shecan speak English – a fact she has kept hidden for years. She has in fact kept her earlylife hidden for all the years when she was in America, where she was married to a goodman, raised her children, and ran a grocery store. Her return to India is both practical –she will be meeting up with her brother – and romantic; India is the site of her first love.Lily, young and kindhearted, in many ways is the glue that holds the group together.She helps to calm Tariq when he becomes overexcited; she brings him his Quran whenhe needs encouragement. Her story is one of youthful determination and finding her place in the world. Although she professes to have given up the flute, it is clear that her path has not been determined.

Themes/Motifs/Symbols In One Amazing Thing, Divakaruni gives a deliberate nod to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Middle Age narrative The Canterbury Tales . In Chaucer’s work, twenty-nine pilgrims are journeying from London to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. Eachpilgrim is challenged to tell two stories on the way to the shrine and two on the returntrip, with the prize of a free meal given to the best storyteller. In the opening scenes of One Amazing Thing , Uma is holding a copy of The Canterbury Tales ; it is at her suggestion later that all of the nine earthquake survivors tell a story of something amazing from their own lives. It could also be argued that the visa office in the Indian consulate is the starting point for a pilgrimage , as seven of the nine are planning to travel to India for one reason or another, and the other two hope to return one day. As they are trapped, however, the nine find that their stories take them on another kind of journey – one that traverses human secrets and destinies.It is fate that brings these nine people from different backgrounds together at this particular moment in time. In some ways this story functions like Thornton Wilder’s Bridge of San Luis Rey, which begins with the death of five people on a bridge and works backward to determine what led these people to this particular spot. Here we have an earthquake that hits and then, as the nine survivors tell their stories, they work their ways back into diverse pasts. Although fate has brought them to this

particular room at this particular moment, the mere fact that they are planning a trip shows the force they are attempting to exert over their own destinies . Mrs. Pritchett, for example, sees India as a place to lose her old self and begin anew. Cameron feels his destiny awaits him in the young orphan girl he has sponsored. Tariq, by going to India, may be cementing his fate as a Muslim extremist – or escaping that fate, which was lurking for him in America.Divakaruni brings together various ages, races, nationalities and religions in this small assemblage of characters. It is this diversity that initially sets them apart from each other, causing misunderstandings and suspicions. It is also this diversity that allows for such a wide range of stories to be shared, and ultimately gives each character a different perspective or insight into the humanity of his or her other companions. Several of the stories shared by the characters emphasize the role of familial obligations in shaping a person’s life, and how only by escaping these obligations can a person truly find happiness and personal fulfillment. Jiang, who left India years before at the urging of her father to begin a new life in the United States, will now have a chance to explore possibilities in the life she left behind. Her granddaughter, Lily, discovers that her love of music can be separated from her desire to please her parents.Malathi thwarted her family’s expectation of an arranged marriage, and Mangalam,hoping to honor his family, has allowed his life to be ruined by his choices. Soon after the initial jolt of the earthquake, Uma feels moisture seeping into the carpet. As the group progresses through the hours, the water level continues to rise. Soon it is not enough to sit in chairs, and the members huddle together on tabletops. Near the end of the book, water has reached the height of the tables, and soon they will be forced to sit with chairs on top of the tables. While the water level is a constant threat to the survival of the group, it also forces them into close proximity, a physical closeness which is soon by the emergence of a feeling of solidarity through the storytelling. Cameron’s inhaler allows him to breathe; it is, for him, a lifeline. When the earthquake hits, he has five doses left in his inhaler and he thinks, ruefully, of a full inhaler waiting at his home. Each time he doses himself with the medication, he is essentially one step closer to running out of life. These doses coincide with the situation spiraling out of control in the basement of the consulate – passageways being blocked, water rising, the ceiling collapsing. At the end of the story, Cameron has used his last dose. It is not just his life which is in jeopardy, but the lives of everyone in the group. Malathi’s sari Represents her culture, womanhood, femininity and station in life. For the sake of the survival of the group, the fabric is a necessary resource to bandage wounds. When she gives up the sari and dons a sweatshirt donated by another member of

the group, she seems to lose her touch with her cultural identity. Although to the eyes of the others she is far more covered (decent) than before, she feels exposed without her sari. Cigarettes, alcohol and pills are hoarded by various members of the group –cigarettes by Mr. Pritchett, a bottle of Wild Turkey by Mr. Mangalam, and anti-anxiety pills by Mrs. Pritchett. Although these objects serve a very real purpose for their daily lives, they also represent the hidden aspects of each of the characters. Essentially, in telling their stories, each member of the group is revealing a secret or a vice. It is only when these secrets and vices come to light through their stories that the teller can be released of that particular burden.On her ill-conceived journey from Texas to New York, Uma witness the Auroraborealis , or northern lights. The experience is surreal and breathtaking, and serves to remind Uma somehow about her own purpose in life – which does not include Jeri or Ripley. She changes course and returns to college. Years later, Jeri asks her if the aurora borealis was real or a figment of her imagination. Uma has been considering this as well, but they decide that sometimes life can hand you, quite simply, one amazing thing.

10 Important Quotes for Understanding One Amazing Thing 1. “The photo frames had been provided by the consulate to all its officers, with strict instructions to fill and display them. It would make the Americans who came to the office feel more comfortable, they were told, since Americans believed that the presence of a smiling family on a man’s table was proof of his moral stability.” 2. “There had never been a time when so many adults had depended on her for something crucial, something they could not do. It made her feel taller.” 3. “Apologize to a woman and she would gain the upper hand. Mangalam knew better than to let that happen.” 4. “Removed from the elegant choreography of the chants he depended on, he was stumped. What did people say to their Maker, anyway? In which tone did they register their complaints or pleas?” 5. “’Everyone has a story,’ said Uma, relieved that one of them was considering the idea. ‘I don’t believe anyone can go through life without encountering at least one amazing thing.’” 6. “They were ready to listen to one another. No, they were ready to listen to the story, which is sometimes greater than the person who speaks it.” 7. “When I told him I loved Mohit he said, Can fish love birds?” 8. “Forgive me, he said. I love you, but I can’t fight a whole country.” 9. “Is the boy unhappy? No. When you’ve known only one thing all your life, you accept it as natural.” 10. “’From having put up my story against the others, I can see this much: everyone suffers in different ways. Now I don’t feel so alone.’”