Dr. Lili Quan thinks of herself as an America, despite her mother's attempts to connect her with China. But Lili feels she must honor her mother's last request to visit China. What she doesn't expect is to meet a grandfather she thought was dead.
Even more life-altering is her grandfather's work, which Lili believes involves traditional Chinese herbal medicine. What she doesn't fully understand is that her grandfather has unlocked some secrets that will extend life -- and that's a discovery many are willing to do anything to get.
This thought-provoking book is an interesting look at China -- its culture, its struggles, its beauty. There's enough suspense and intrigue to keep you reading, but plenty of self-examination and even a love story. A good read.
San Francisco, 1989: Forty years after Mao and his People's Liberation Army set poised to change China forever, Dr. Lili Quan prepares for a journey that will change her life forever. To honor her mother's dying wish that Lili "return home," Lili reluctantly sets out for China.
For Lili, a passionate idealist, this will be an extraordinary trip filled with remarkable discoveries - from meeting and falling in love with Chi-Wen Zhou, a victim of the Cutural Revolution and zealous Taoist, to finding Dr. Ni-Fu Cheng, the grandfather Lili believed had died years ago. But Dr. Cheng has made the most remarkable discovery of all: he's discovered the secret to long life.
As Dr. Cheng's only relative, Lili's life is in jeopardy. As greedy and unscrupulous men vie for control of the most earth-shattering discovery of the century, Lili Quan could become a pawn in a deadly and dangerous international game.
Before Lili can hold the key to the future, she must unlock the deadly secrets of the past.
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