This riveting saga spans three generations of Chinese women before, during and after Mao's regime. The story, which paints personal family drama on a social and political background, is told to us by Peace, a young Chinese woman who now lives and works as a housekeeper in North America. She has just learned of her father's death in China, and begins to share with us the past adventures of her grandmother and mother in the homeland. The impact of this vivid account of Mao's war-torn state is amplified by Li's strong and complex characters, who often find themselves on opposite sides, both rejecting and embracing traditional values during a time of cultural upheaval.