Summary

The story follows Ai-ming’s life in Beijing as an 18-year-old preparing to take the examinations to attend Beijing University. She stumbles upon love letters from her father to Kai, although she does not realize that Kai is the same person that visited her father when she was a child.

In the background, the Chinese government and public shift towards condemning the Cultural Revolution. Ai-ming meets a fellow student named Yiwen, her neighbor. Yiwen is very politically active and Ai-ming hears about the Tiananmen Square demonstrations through her.

Another high-ranking official Hu Yaobang dies, resulting in a public funeral. During the funeral, students begin to protest. Sparrow feels politically inactive and ignorant compared to Ai-ming. At night, he goes to the square where students have set up their tents and brings a poster he has written to post on the wall with...