The protagonists in The Clay Marble are two Cambodian girls: Dara, who is twelve, and Jantu, who is thirteen. Both the girls and their families are caught in the middle of the warfare that is ravaging their country. Through the experiences of these characters, the author, Minfong Ho, shows readers what life is like for innocent people living in an area torn apart by war.
Dara, her mother and older brother flee to the refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border. At the border, they find food, rice seed and farm tools with which they can start a new life.
Dara found a friend, Jantu, with whom she creates a little world of peace and laughter.
But their happiness did not last very long. Dara is separated from her family when fighting and shelling hits the camp. She must fend herself. She must find a new source of strength within herself, in order to survive and search for her family.
Comment on this novel :
- "....a moving and sensitive account, told by someone who worked at camps on Thai-Cambodian border." - Parents Magazine, USA