A poor orphan, a sleeping maiden, and a magical new sound come together in this captivating legend of the Karen, or Pgaz K’Nyau, people of Southeast Asia. Each year, everyone in the kingdom gathers for the town lord’s festival to honor the spirits of the land and water and ensure a good harvest. But when the lord’s daughter chooses to sleep through the celebration, no one can wake her. The town lord promises great wealth to anyone who succeeds, but even after seven hundred men try, his daughter remains asleep. Then a poor orphan emerges from the spirit-filled forest carrying a strange wooden object that produces beautiful music. With his newly invented harp, he may be the only person capable of awakening the lord’s daughter—and showing the kingdom a new way forward. Parts of The Orphan’s Harp are told through hta, songs composed in the poetic form used to preserve Pgaz K’Nyau oral history. A QR code connects readers to an accompanying album recorded by the coauthors, bringing the legend’s music to life during read-alouds.
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