Raman, the first in his countryside village in India to learn to read, treasures this accomplishment even though it garners taunts from peers and separates him from his family. Forced to quit school when his woodcutter father leaves home to find work, Raman makes money retrieving native flowers for an American scholar writing a book on Indian flora. When Raman pridefully confides his status as "first reader" in the village to the scholar, she unexpectedly responds: "That is a great responsibility." The scholar's lack of outright praise shakes Raman's self-satisfaction so that he sees the needs of his community. Arora's years living in a village like Raman's lend authenticity to this depiction of life in India mid-twentieth century.