Jade-Lotus has long since escaped her hometown in China, which is overshadowed by a terrible Confucian tradition, for a new life in the West. But to adopt the child she longs for she has no choice but to return. Whilst there she is determined to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared when she was a toddler, even though her grandmother had always said it would be dangerous to try.

Against the colourful backdrop of Chinese festivals, with the help of her childhood friends, Jade-Lotus struggles against power-hungry officials, unyielding tradition, and an old enemy to complete the family of her dreams and unravel the shocking mystery of her mother’s fate.