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Venkatraman repeatedly confronts readers with the quandary that Christian theologians refer to as “the problem of pain.” It can be stated by asking the question, if there is a loving and benevolent God, why is there so much suffering in the world? The author broaches the issue initially in Chapter 3 when Viji points out the futility of her mother’s constant prayers that have no impact on her father’s brutality. Throughout the narrative, the question arises repeatedly, accentuated by the increasing degrees of deprivation, danger, and suffering Venkatraman describes. In the concluding Author’s Note, she writes, “In India, a staggering number of children—millions—are homeless” (190) and “Hunger and poverty are not issues that affect South Asia alone. They are global problems that millions of children and adults face” (191). In this manner, the author implies that, if anything, she has understated the magnitude of the pain in the world.

Venkatraman, speaking through the conversations of the children, offers various responses to the question of the presence of a loving God. Viji’s mother and Arul embody the “pray harder” perspective, both faithful in offering up petitions to God that do not seem to be answered.