Malila doesn't know what to expect when her mother leaves her at her grandmother's house in a small village in Thailand. Grandmother tells young Malila that her mother has gone to America to make a new life. As the years go by, Malila hears Grandmother's stories and learns the traditions of their country. Malila learns too what it means to be an outsider due to a family secret that turns the villagers against her. When Malila is taunted by her classmates, Grandmother tells her "the dragon has breathed upon you today. The dragon's breath brings great pain and sorrow, but it can turn coal into diamond." It's not until Malila discovers her own special talent that she can finally gain sanouk, the joy of living.