Sing to the Dawn

Sing To The Dawn - Minfong Ho (Synopsis) Set in the recent past, the story begins on the day that the winner of the annual scholarship, which will send one student to Bangkok for higher studies, is announced. Kwai has been top of his class for three years, and everyone, especially his father, Somchai, is eagerly anticipating his winning the scholarship. However, everyone’s dreams are shattered when the winner of the scholarship turns out to be Kwai’s sister, Dawan. This is the first time a girl has won the award. Their father is furious and refuses to let Dawan accept the scholarship; he has lived in the city and despises what it does to people. Despite her father’s resistance, the village abbot’s refusal to help and the strains the situation puts on her relationship with her brother, Dawan is determined to fight for her chance to further her studies in the city. Seeing how much it means to her daughter, and remembering her own dreams, Somsri realizes that Dawan deserves to make her own choices. Together with her mother’s support and the encouragement of her grandmother, Rachanee, her teacher, Chalardchai, and a friend, Bao, Dawan remains steadfast. After many battles, changes of heart and misgivings over what may happen to Dawan and the family, the father finally makes his decision

CHAPTER SUMMARY Chapter One:  Dawan and Kwai sat on the rickety old bridge above the river  Dawan asked Kwai what would he do if he got the scholarship 

Dawan felt that she would not get the scholarship because she is a girl, instead Kwai might get the scholarship

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Talked about how unfair it is that the sacks of rice stacked up beneath the house is for the tax collector

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Their parents thought that it was foolish and wasteful to send girls to school

Chapter Two:  Teacher asked students what they saw beneath their house in the morning  Had a long discussion with the students about the landlord taking away sacks of rice beneath their houses 

A student spotted the headmaster heading to their class and the student shouted "he's coming"

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Teacher and student immediately pretended that they are having Geography lessons until the headmaster went away

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Teacher and student discussed what they should do if they won the scholarship

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Teacher announced that Dawan won the scholarship

Chapter Three:

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Classmates surrounded Dawan as soon as they heard that she won the scholarship Kwai was unhappy and sad that Dawan won the scholarship instead of him

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Dawan told her family that she got the scholarship and that made her parents angry. Her father was especially angry and said that she took her own brother's chance away from him.

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Dawan's grandmother however supported her

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Dawan and her grandmother headed to Noi's house and halfway, Dawan's mother decided to go with Dawan instead of her grandmother

Chapter Four:  Noi said that going to the city was useless  Army officer made deal with Noi's family in order not to bring Ghan to the army Chapter Five:  Kwai realised that Noi and Ghan do not support Dawan in going to the city  Kwai came in second in the examination 

If Dawan does not go to the city, Kwai gets to go instead of her

Chapter Six:  Dawan's father didn't want her to go to the city  Kwai asked his father if he had won the scholarship, would he allow him to go to the city 

Kwai's dad thought that boys going to the city to further his studies would be better than girls

Chapter Seven:  Dawan went to the marketplace alone and met a girl that sells lotus bud and caged sparrows  Dawan realised that the girl, Bao, was the sister of her classmate Chapter Eight:  Dawan went to see the old monk  Dawan's teacher and the old monk are good friends 

Old monk does not really see why Dawan should go to the city school

Chapter Nine:  Bao allowed Dawan to free a bird for free

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Bao's brother, Vichai, came to the market stall and hit her because she freed a bird for free

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Kwai stopped Vichai from hitting Bao

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After realising that Bao knew about what happened between Dawan and Kwai, Kwai wanted to slap Bao

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Kwai pushed Dawan away when she tried to stop Kwai, unfortunately she landed on top of a pile of broken bird cages, injuring herself

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Cousin Noi helped Dawan with her wound

Chapter Ten:  Dawan and Kwai were at the river  Kwai was thinking about Dawan's words, about him being a bully 

Dawan passed Kwai her umbrella caringly as it was raining

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Kwai made a decision

Chapter Eleven:  Kwai's father heard from his teacher that he got second in the test and was angry at Kwai for not telling him so  Father spoke to both Kwai and Dawan together 

Father was very reluctant and unconvinced that Dawan should go to the city school

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After much persuasion from Dawan and Kwai, father finally allowed Dawan to go to the city school

Chapter Twelve:  Kwai will miss Dawan once she goes to the city school, no one will be there to watch the sunrise with him Chapter Thirteen:  At first Dawan was unsure if she wanted to leave as she will miss everything in her village  After her grandmother talked to Dawan, she decided to go 

When she was boarding the bus to go to the city, Kwai was nowhere to be seen

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Although many people in the village sent her off, she was not happy as Kwai was not there

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During the bus journey, she saw Kwai on the bridge that they usually went to, he was waving at her. Bidding goodbye