I always think of myself as a reader not that interested in historical fiction until I read books that remind me that I *do* like historical fiction. Partially set in a time in history I haven't read many perspectives of is always a bonus, and that was the case here - the impact of country, politics, and position on the lives of these people through many decades and changes, from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Taiwan, New York, California. This was engaging, heartbreaking, hopeful.