A Chinese-American woman discovers her tormented mother’s memoirs of life as a girl in China, and uncovers family secrets long kept hidden.

"In its rich character portrayals and sensitivity to the nuances of mother-daughter relationships, Tan's new novel is the real successor to, and equal of, The Joy Luck Club. This luminous and gripping book demonstrates enhanced tenderness and wisdom, however; it carries the texture of real life and reflects the paradoxes historical events can produce."
--Publishers Weekly