Plot+Outline

Important Events/Plot:

~ The Khmer Rouge (Communists) come and invade Cambodia ~ **Beginning** **Action**: Sundara flees with her aunt, uncle and cousins ~ They leave on a boat to head for America (it is very packed and Sundara is responsible for her aunt, Soka's, new born baby girl, and on the way the baby dies and Sundara is forced to throw her overboard) ~ Then their boat arrives at Oregon, America ~ Sundara works hard to help out her family while still attending high school ~ At high school Sundara meets an American classmate named Jonathon, who she likes and wants to get to know better ~ **Climax**: But her Cambodian culture doesn't alllow her to go out with an American boy, so Sundara faces many obstacles ~ Jonathon doesn't understand that she can not date him because of her culture ~ He comes over to her house and does something that offended her little cousin ~ Sundara and Jonathon discover some of their similarities (like being concerned for the war over seas in Cambodia, also that they care for the refugees there) ~ Sundara has an emotional break-down because of how she can't meet everyone's expectations and she feels guilt about the death of Soka's baby girl on the boat over to America ~ **Resolution**: read Children of the River to find out

By: Brooke