This was recommended to me awhile ago and I am glad I finally read it. The story is told from the point of view of a young American teen who is living in Hong Kong with her older sister and mother while their father photographs the Vietnam War. There are so many themes and various historical references throughout-Mao's Cultural Revolution, Colonialism, the Vietnam War, and familial relations. The author forewarns that something ominous is going to happen to the older sister, Frankie, but it still comes as a surprise. I liked the way the characters are shown through the eyes of one who is growing up and losing her innocence.