Monterey’s bracelet is a symbol of her friendship with Emako and the connection they share. Despite the bracelet’s price, and Emako’s financial situation, she goes back for the bracelet so that she can give it to Monterey on her birthday. Monterey first mentions the bracelet in Chapter 1, at Emako’s funeral: “Silver stars and moons dangled from the bracelet that Emako had given me for my birthday” (3). This early mention establishes the importance of the bracelet to Monterey. She wears it as a way to honor her friend and to remain connected to her.

Music is an important motif in the text. It is the interest that brings the five main characters together, as they first meet Emako at choir auditions, and it continues throughout the text as a representation of Emako’s dreams for her future. When Monterey first hears Emako’s voice, she describes it as such: “It was like vanilla incense, smoky and sweet. She had a voice that could do tricks, go high, low, and anywhere in between: a voice that’s a gift from God” (5). Establishing Emako’s talent, which seems divinely ordained, emphasizes the important role music will come to play within the text and Emako’s story.