Over the course of a single day, a young teacher named Suwen searches for her identity as a woman and an artist. The novel weaves family history and immigrant memory into a layered portrait of Singapore and of personal freedom.

Tracing a private life also becomes a way of unfolding the memory of a city.

Drawing on myths of mountains and spirits, the novel follows Shi Ying, a rescued child, as she searches for her origins. Encounters with her foster family and a village outsider lead her to question identity and belonging.

A girl who does not know where she comes from begins a journey that pushes beyond the village boundary.