Jun and Hong are the daughters of a wealthy, illustrious Chinese family. Both are smart, hard working girls who have an almost idyllic childhood. At the start of the Chinese Civil War, Jun is visiting her friend on an island that is under Nationalist control, and Hong is on the mainland. Although both women become successful, Jun is an entrepreneur, Hong is a doctor,their lifestyles, loyalties and philosophies are very different. However, they both feel that their lives are incomplete because they have been separated from each other for decades.

The author of Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden is Jun and Hong’s great niece. Li does a fine job of presenting what life was like on mainland China before, during and after the Cultural Revolution. She also describes the interesting lives of two bright, hard working, practical women.