小说讲述的是上个世纪20年代，18岁的 Mei Ling 从广西的一个赤贫家庭通过婚姻移民美国的故事。Mei Ling通过媒人认识了未来老公Kai Li， Kai Li 自称是从美国回来的华商。办好结婚手续后，她和她老公一起坐了近三个月的船到了加州，在当时排华法案（Chinese exclusion act, 1882-1943)的影响下，劳工移民被完全禁止，但家属移民还是允许的，不过所有人入境前都要被关到Angel Island immigration detention center (1910-1943)做进一步审查。短的话几个星期，长则几个月甚至几年。

为了通过审查，移民中心有人贩卖coach book，也就是每个人的档案材料，做审查前必须得背熟了上面所有的个人信息，一旦你的回答和信息对不上号，就会被遣返。

Mei Ling一开始对答如流，可到这里就卡壳了：

The chinese man interpreted,” Is the cooking stove in the kitchen portable or built in?” A fire cracker of fear exploded in Mei Ling's chest. That information wasn't in the book. She made up an answer: “Portable.” The white woman typed in her answer without pausing. Mei ling looked for assurance from the two men across from her, but neither affirmed or denied the credibility of her reply. 

接下来Mei Ling很巧妙的化解了危机，获得了入境许可。

Your husband says the stove in the kitchen is built in, which contradicts your testimony. Who do you have to say about that?”

“My husband spends no time in the kitchen”, she replied, indigination hiding the fear in her voice. “ How can you possibly expect him to know about our stove”

在船上Mei Ling 认识了才六岁的孤儿Siew, 在随后几个月的相处中Mei Ling喜欢上了这个小女孩，要离开detention center 时她非常舍不得Siew，她想领养Siew却知道没有可能, 作者在这里对她接下来的举动和心理活动的描写非常贴切.

She patted Siew's back like her father used to do for her, Suddenly understanding more of what those pats contained-a passionate desire to offer comfort when you had no actual power to change the situation.

Mei Ling告别Siew的节选, 我以为是全书最让人伤感的地方，

“Goodbye,” Siew's small voice said. She lay on the metal cot, alone, watching them go, unshed tears in her glossy brown eyes. Mei Ling felt ill at the betray of walking away from her.

当Mei Ling发现她老公根本不是什么商人，只不过是个富人家的仆人，而且还是个文盲时的反应,  她从质问，到愤怒，最后归于平静，这个过程作者花了三页的篇幅来描写，一个充满智慧和理性的女人跃然纸上.

"You can not read, can you?" she asked. Kai Li shook his head. "Nor write?" He shook his head again....... Her Dragon woke up, causing her to blurt out her accusation: " You aren't a merchant, are you?!" Humiliation and fear covering his face , he bowed his head in shame.....

Mei Ling stormed out of the room, working to hide her overwhelming feelings of sorrow and anger.....Her husaband was illiterate, probably a laborer, as she and her children would now be too. Her parents' investment in her future had come to nothing..... Mei ling inhaled deeply, feeling the moist fog enter into her lungs. I will be strong. I will create harmony.....

作者 Laila Ibrahim说写这部小说的启发是再她在参观了Angel Island immigration museum后， 按她的话, 她非常想让人知道这段被人遗忘尘封的历史。 一百多年前，华人作为一个整体被单独歧视对待, 这是美国历史上不光彩的一幕，可100年后谁又能想到，由于新冠病毒美国总统再次签署了禁止移民的行政令，新冠后的世界可能再也回不到从前了，可日子还得过，我只想说 Life is full of uncertainty, we've just got to learn to live with it.