Red, White, and Whole

Reha calls her mother Amma, but Amma’s first name is Punam, which means “moon.” Amma’s age is never specified, but her older sister is 37, and she has a 13-year-old daughter who was born after she came to America, so she is probably around 35 years old. Amma is a loving mother who works hard to care for her daughter. Although she once hoped to be an English teacher, she eventually decided that going to America was more important, so she now works in a hematology lab instead of teaching.

Amma is emotionally intelligent and often reassures Reha about difficult concepts. When a young Reha fears that her father will die when he must have his appendix removed, Amma assures her daughter that while such an outcome is very unlikely, if it does happen, she “will be both mother and father” (173) to Reha and will always be there for her. Although she cares a great deal for Reha, Amma can sometimes be very strict. For example, she is reluctant to let Reha attend the school dance or spend time with boys. Reha sometimes chafes against her mother’s rules, but she ultimately comes to regret her desire to rebel when she realizes how important her mother is to her.

Reha and Amma have one tragic thing in common: both of them understand what it means to lose their mothers to illness far too early in life. That similarity allows Amma to connect with her daughter even from beyond the grave, and in her final aerogramme, she talks about her own grief process in an attempt to help Reha feel understood. Despite the brevity of Amma’s life, she shows herself to be a determined, intelligent, and courageous individual.

Reha’s father is never named in the text; she only refers to him as “Daddy.” Like his wife, Reha’s father comes from Bangalore. He is an engineer and a kind man who wants the best for his daughter. Reha notes many charming details about him, like his tendency to chime in too early when he sings the choruses of his favorite songs. At first, Reha assumes that her parents think of each other as roommates because they are not outwardly affectionate, and because their marriage was arranged. However, when she sees how profoundly her father is impacted by her mother’s illness, she changes her mind.

Although Reha’s father is competent in his career and supportive of his daughter, he does not have strong domestic skills. When Amma goes to the hospital, he and Reha have to rely on the other Indian women in the community for meals. This is one of many examples in the book of an apparently clear division between the different parts of Reha’s life: her mother cooks, and her father does not. Toward the end of the book, that dynamic shifts. Reha and her father learn to cook, and when Amma comes home, “every evening, [they] cook together, / eat together” (215). The different streams of Reha’s life therefore come together into one whole.

Prema is Reha’s aunt and Punam’s older sister. Like the rest of the family, she still lives in Bangalore. Punam misses Prema more than anyone else in her family, and the sisters talk often by phone and by aerogramme. Prema is married, but she has no children. Reha notes that her mother and her aunt look alike and have similar voices, which is a great source of comfort for her when Prema comes to visit.

The name “Prema” means “affectionate,” and Prema is indeed devoted to caring for the people she loves. She goes through a challenging visa process and a very long journey to get to America so that she can take care of her sister while she is in the hospital. She insists on buying and cooking food as soon as she arrives, telling Reha’s father that she “cannot rest until [she makes] sure [that he] and Reha have eaten properly” (181). Prema represents the familial ties that Reha and her parents do not always have access to.

When Reha asks Sunny what happens after death, Sunny suggests that Amma might “be reincarnated, / as a new baby somewhere” (171). At the end of the book, Prema gives birth to a baby girl. Although Amma is no longer alive, the narrative implies that she lives on through her family members. Her life continues in Reha’s blood and memory, and it also continues through her sister’s new baby.

Sunny, or Sunita, is one of Reha’s closest friends. They are only a month apart in age, and they both come from Indian families. They have been friends since they were two years old. Like Reha, Sunny has to balance her Indian heritage with her life in America. While Reha finds this process difficult, Sunny appears to have an easier time. Her parents are less strict, so she is better able to take part in the teenage experiences that Reha covets, such as wearing fashionable clothes and attending a public school.

Reha and Sunny are “almost close enough to be twins” (20) in more than just age. Yet although their families and backgrounds are alike, their individual experiences are very different. While Reha is an only child who feels that she is responsible for all her parents’ hopes, Sunny has more than one younger brother and a busy household. Sunny is implied to be Hindu, like Reha, for her suggestion that people might be reincarnated after death is a Hindu belief. However, Sunny is not vegetarian, as she eats tandoori turkey at Thanksgiving. Although the two girls share a religion and a culture, they express these things in different ways. The cultural nuances of Sunny’s character therefore help to illustrate that Indian culture is not a monolith, nor is the immigrant experience. In this way, she serves as a foil for Reha’s character. The differences between the two girls are even reflected in their names. “Reha” means “star,” an image that contrasts strongly with the common English adjective “Sunny.” In this way, the author uses the characters’ names to imply that although the two girls might almost be twins, they are also like night and day.

Pete is a boy in Reha’s English class. Like Reha, he is very smart. He often asks particularly insightful questions in class, such as when he asks whether being the son of the king guarantees that someone will be a good leader. Sometimes, Pete is more prepared to ask these questions than Reha is, for she wants to ask her English teacher why all the heroes are men, but she never works up the courage. Although Reha still participates in class when most other girls have stopped answering questions, she also thinks it is important to try to fit in with her peers. One of the things that she admires about Pete is his willingness to stand out. He is the only member of the class to say that The Empire Strikes Back is his favorite movie of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Pete and Reha are similar in their approach to school and in their thoughtfulness, but their family situations differ greatly. Pete’s parents have recently divorced, and the narrative implies that his father is an unkind man when Pete compares his own father to Darth Vader and tells Reha that he never cries because his father does not like it. With his many insightful observations, Pete helps Reha to gain a better understanding of other people’s perspectives. Although she and Pete are different, they are “both / living two lives, / both / rushing over rapids / in separate boats” (177). Like many people in Reha’s life, Pete is quick to offer his support and kindness when Amma gets sick.

Rachel is one of Reha’s best friends. The girls are both 13 and attend the same private school. Although they come from different cultural backgrounds, Reha and Rachel are very similar in temperament. They are both excellent students and are both misfits amongst their peers. While other girls are becoming more interested in boys and makeup, Reha and Rachel are “still raising [their] hands in class, / still wearing the same clothes as last year” (36). Despite their similarities, Rachel is more similar to other American children than Reha is. Her parents see no problem in letting her attend the school dance, for instance.

The girls’ friendship is built on a celebration not just of their similarities, but also of their differences. They have an ongoing joke about their different dietary restrictions, just as they have regular dance parties to their favorite pop music. Like so many people in Reha’s life, Rachel supports her when her mother gets sick. She is mature and thoughtful: when Reha asks her what she thinks happens after people die, she says she does not know, but also gently tells her, “[M]aybe, Reha, you don’t need to think about this right now” (172). Rachel represents one of Reha’s most important links to her American side.