Summary

In Part I, "Two Children of Trout River," Cassia took the train with her daughter, Junie, to Trout River. She was delivering Junie to her grandparents. Cassia's husband and Junie's father, Momo, had "left for graduate school in America" earlier in the year (4). The night before he left, he brought home a violin for Junie. The instrument was contraband from the Cultural Revolution (4). He woke Junie in the night to make her play. Junie grew upset. Cassia did not understand his insistence.

Cassia wanted to "accomplish something very practical" (5). She would give Junie to Momo's parents so that Junie would no longer need her.

Junie was not upset when Cassia left. She watched Grandpa "wash his feet," commenting on his legs (7). Junie had been born without legs. Later, her grandparents retold her stories from Momo's childhood...