"Shirley Lim's first novel traces the unconventional development of an extended and unlikely family, moving from the newly born state of Malaysia to the heart of middle-class America to the capitalist explosion of 1980s Singapore.".

"This novel opens to find Li An, a rebellious young woman of Chinese descent, riding her motorcyle through the hot, congested streets of Kuala Lumpur. With her group of Malay, Indian, and Chinese friends, she debates Malaysia's future. But her work - and her heart - are devoted to the study of English literature, a legacy of colonial culture.

The conflicts inherent in Li An's life, and in her country, are rising to crisis point: as Malaysia approaches the volatile elections of 1969, Li An's marriage to a traditional Chinese man is threatened by her sexually charged friendship with Chester, a long-haired American Peace Corps volunteer. Forced together by election-night riots, they finally give in to their attraction - with results neither of them had imagined.".

"But Li Ann is no Madame Butterfly. Eleven years after their encounter, Li An will find herself in self-imposed exile as the mother of an Amerasian child and the head of a family of independent women. Chester will return to find Li An very changed, and his American wife will find herself at the ignorant end of a long-distance call from Singapore.

The many threads of the story come together in Li An's daughter, Suyin, a girl with two fathers, three mothers, a host of contradictions, and a watchful curiosity about what the future will bring."--BOOK JACKET.