The second daughter of successful Chinese parents, Maya Li grows up in Ohio, raised on equal measures of steamed rice and sliced white bread. Never a stellar student or an ambitious careerist, Maya seems content to stand in the reflected light of her beautiful, talented sister. Now, working in New York City in a series of dead-end jobs, she finds herself heartbroken and in search of the sense of self she lost with the sudden death of her beloved father and with the end of a poignant love affair.

Then, almost accidentally, she is drawn to the country of her parents' youth. Maya embarks on a trip to China, much to the bewilderment of her aloof sister and preoccupied mother, both of whom never looked back on their legacy of sadness.

Seeing too much in too little time, Maya and her tour group rush through temples, tombs, and beyond the Forbidden City. As she emerges into the rural peasant countryside, Maya's mind is awash with both memory and discovery, remorse and wonder. One thing emerges clearly: She is on a journey of the soul, and her connection to the land of her parents' birth is enduring.