The Nameless Saint

The Nameless Saint is symbolic of timelessness. The Saint statue recurs throughout the novel, thus transcending the bounds of time and space. Although the novel spans multiple eras in time and is set in a range of locations across the glob, the Saint resurfaces throughout. The Saint acts as a form of connection between each characters' lives, and reminds them of their place within the collective consciousness.

Lhamo's Ashes

Lhamo's ashes are symbolic of healing. In the latter section of the novel, Dolma and Samphel travel from Pokhara to Jomsom, and from Jomsom to Lo Manthang in order to scatter the ashes. In doing so, Dolma is able to find a sense of closure. Scattering her late mother's ashes helps her to better understand Lhamo and to let go of her after she has passed.

Lhamo's Parents' Clothes

Lhamo's parents' clothes are symbolic of...