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Chapter SummariesChapter 1

Kino awakes in the early dawn and his wife, Juana, is awake beside him. He cannotremember waking when Juana wasn't already awake and looking at him. He hears thewaves lapping the shore and feels the music of his life within him. The sounds of hisworld are songs that have existed in his people for hundreds of years, and amongthose ancient songs in Kino's head are his own songs,the Song of Family andthe Song of the Pearl that Might Be. As Juana fixes breakfast for her husband, he standsat the door and looks out into the dawning morning. The motion of Juana's cookingandthe sounds of her work inside the house make up the Song of Family for Kino.Behind him, he hears the creaking rope as Juana takes their baby,Coyotito,from the hanging box he sleeps in and wraps him in her shawl to carry him close to her breast. The sounds are so familiar to Kino that he doesn't even have to look to know what ishappening. As Juana works, she hums an ancient song, and this melody is also part of theSong of Family along with every other sound of their home. That is the song thatconstantly plays in Kino's head. "Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caughtthe throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the

Whole

."Chapter 1, pg. 4

Chapter 2

Kino and Juana return home and go out to gather pearls in Kino'scanoe, the onevaluable thing he owns. Kino's father and grandfather had handed that canoe downto him along with the secret way to refinish the plaster so that it remained seaworthy over the years. The canoe is his legacy, along with the ancient songs, and heis proud of it. He uses the canoe to hunt for pearls and provide for his family. Whenthey go out onto the sea, Juana puts a seaweed poultice on Coyotito's shoulder.Kino slips over the side of the canoe with the rope tied to a rock, which he will wraparound his ankle so that he doesn't float to the surface while he looks for pearls. There is another rope tied to a basket so that he can put the oysters in the basketand pull them up to the boat when he's finished diving. Under the water, he can hearthe Song of the Pearl that Might Be as he gathers oyster shells and puts them intothe basket. For centuries men had dived to the depths of the sea hoping that one of the shells will have gathered a grain of sand and coated it smooth with its cementsecretions to make a valuable pearl. "But the pearls were accidents, and the findingof one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods both."Chapter 2, pg. 22 While Kino dives, Juana prays that he will find a great pearl so that they can affordthe doctor's treatment for Coyotito. Kino knows that above him, in the canoe, Juana ispraying, trying to force the luck he needs to find the pearl.

Chapter 3

Word spreads quickly about Kino's good fortune among his neighbors and into thetown. The news spread tothe priestwho thinks that it would be good to have thatwealth for the church. Shopkeepers eye their men's clothing in hopes of making asale. The doctor also hears of Kino's pearl, and when he realizes who Kino is, he saysthat Kino is his client. The thought of the pearl makes the doctor dream of Parisagain. The buyershear word of Kino's pearl and think of how they will offer him onlythe lowest price he can stand. Their job is to get the Indians to give over their pearlsfor less than their actual value by working together with the other pearl buyers in the