Tang Yitian is a college professor at a prestigious university in America. He was brought up in a rural Chinese village. One day he receives a call from his mother who he hasn’t seen in seven years. His elderly father has disappeared, and his mother needs Yitian’s help finding him. His return to China brings back memories of his father, his deceased brother and the girl he loved who helped him get to America.

Tang’s debut novel is a winner. She clearly describes the China of the 1970’s compared to the country in 1990. Her characters a well-drawn, and although the novel goes back and forth in time, it is never confusing.