How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
He sighed, and I knew he was thinking of Hari, so I began to read aloud to Sassur from my favorite poem. It was about a flock of birds flying day and night through the skies. Among them was one homeless bird, always flying on to somewhere else. (4.51)
The homeless bird in these poems means a lot to Koly because she super relates to it. She also feels like a bird waiting to take flight, wandering around in hopes of finding a home.
Quote #5
Because I was leaving it, my sass's house, where for so long I had felt unwelcome, now seemed like home. I even said goodbye to the bandicoot, which switched its tail and twitched its whiskers at me in a friendly way. (7.25)
When Koly and Mrs. Mehta leave their home, Koly's surprised at her sadness. Sure, it hasn't exactly been a kindhearted and comfy place with warm chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, but Koly has had good times there. It makes her sad to leave because this place has become her home in its own way.
Quote #6
All around us people were settling down on the sidewalks. Babies and small children snuggled against their mothers or sisters. Some of the people fell asleep immediately, as if their square of sidewalk were as much a shelter as a house would be. (8.11)
No one seems to have a home in widows' city; everyone is wandering around, looking for a place to stay. This makes Koly feel lost and frustrated, but it also gives her a sense of hope—if everyone around her is going through the same homelessness as she is, she doesn't feel so alone.