Journal Entry 1 by Kiptos from Singapore, n/a Singapore on Tuesday, March 01, 2005

From the back cover:

The frustrations, hardships and political injustices of everyday life in a village in Southeast Asia are dramatically revealed in the story of Dawan, a young Thai girl who seeks the opportunity to continue her education at a city high school by taking a special examination.

But Dawan must compete with her brother, who also takes the test, and faces the disapproval of her father, who is convinced that city life and further schooling are not for a girl.

Dawan's determination to overcome these obstacles and to prove to herself, as well as to others, that she is worthy of seeking the prize is an important experience to her and her readers.

This book was a winner of the Southeast Asia Write Award 1996. It also won 1st prize in the Council of Interracial Books for Children, New York.

Minfong Ho is a Singaporean who grew up in Thailand and now makes her home in Ithaca, New York. She is also author of Rice Without Rain, The Clay Marble and Maples in the Mist. She also co-authored Sing to the Dawn, the musical based on the book.