Also known as The Fledgling, this short masterwork juxtaposes a simple yet eloquent family story with the harshest violence of colonialism: shadowy dangers that constantly infringe on and deny any tranquility. The lyrical pastorale of Nga and her father, a ferryman, embedded in nature and sounds of the river, becomes an arena of conflict between the revolutionaries whom he assists and the French agents who intervene, shattering this domestic idyll forever with its tragic denouement.