Sold by
Patricia
McCormick

At the beginning of the novel, Lakshmi lives
in rural, mountainous Nepal, which is a small
country north of India.

Population = 1.2 billion
 That’s almost 4 times the size of the United
States!

Monsoons =
seasonal winds and
heavy rainfall

Drought = period of
severe dryness and
lack of rain
Lassi = yogurt smoothie
Why do you think McDonald’s in
India doesn’t serve any beef
products?

In Hinduism, the cow is
considered sacred, so many
Hindis do not consume beef.

Lakshmi, the main character, is
named after the Hindu goddess
Lakshmi.
Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth,
prosperity (both material and
spiritual), light, wisdom, fortune,
fertility, generosity and courage; and
the embodiment of beauty, grace and
charm.

Why do you often see an Indian woman with a
red dot on her forehead?
 The “dot” is called a bindi.
 In older times, the red dot was a symbol of a woman’s
marriage.
 Bindis today are worn throughout South Asia by
women and girls and no longer signify age, marital
status, religious background or ethnic affiliation.
▪ The bindi has become a decorative item and is no longer
restricted in color or shape.
What does this sign tell us about gender in India? Which gender is
preferred?
Answer: Men are preferred over women, even though there is a current
female president. Indira Gandhi (left) was one of the first female leaders of
a country.


India is defined by a caste system in which
social hierarchy is very important .
How does this differ from the American
dream?

Traditionally, Indian parents look for a
prospective match for their son/daughter from
their own community also known as arranged
marriage.
 Failure to arrange a match for a daughter is a source
of stress and sometimes shame for the family.
 An unarranged marriage would be called a “love
marriage.” Typically, families do not approve of these
marriages, and sometimes they can cause splits in the
family that last for future decades.

In certain parts of India, the bride’s family is
expected to pay a dowry to the husband’s
family.
 Dowry = money, goods, or estate that a woman
brings to her husband in marriage.
 A dowry is intended to be way of protecting the wife
against the possibility of ill treatment by her husband
and his family.
 If a woman’s family cannot provide a dowry, their
daughter may not be able to marry, causing shame to
the family.



Men wear the sherwani,
which is a knee-length
garment similar to a
coat.
Women wear saris , an
article of clothing that is
draped around the body.
Women also wear a
salvar kameez, which is
a long tunic worn over a
pair of trousers.