Overview

The Samuels family runs from Nazi Germany to Japanese controlled Shanghai. Without funds or visas, Dr. Samuels accepts Japan's Captain, breaking the family to worlds apart. Itos offer allows his wife and daughter to travel to the U.S. in exchange for the doctor's time to treat Emperor Pu Yi's drug-addicted wife in Changchun, China.

Turning Points

The bombing of Pearl Harbor changes everything. Esther must now find a life living in Japan with the geisha, Yasuko, in Nagasaki while the doctor's name becomes a curse to the Chinese in Northern China.

Final Unification

The Samuels family finally unites as the sons of both families, Ky and Ichiro, battle among the swords and knives of Shanghai's Yu Yuan gardens. Each of their stories is the novel's tale.