In Chang’An, China, in 731 C.E., a boy with a remarkable ability to connect with animals finds unexpected fulfillment in a simple life. Overshadowed by his talented, high-achieving siblings, Han Yu accompanies his father to market each day to make and sell steamed buns. When his family contracts a dangerous respiratory illness, Han Yu embarks on a journey along the dangerous Silk Road in search of medicine. Along the way he meets a young poet who becomes a friend and travel companion. Across the world and centuries later, in Depression-era Chinatown in New York City, Luli helps out at her parents’ dim sum restaurant, in a building at risk of foreclosure. Luli is fascinated by a small collection of Ancient Chinese art displayed in a makeshift “museum” attached to the gift shop downstairs, which is owned by a family friend. One particular piece, a length of silk with remnants of a poem on it, may provide a reversal of fortune for Luli’s family. As Han Yu’s and Luli’s parallel adventures progress, the connecting threads between them strengthen. The equally engaging storylines draw parallels between two vastly different times and locations using appealing sensory details and a profound appreciation for Chinese art, history, poetry, and culture.