The three generations of Arneaux women have never gotten along. Now they must unite, to decide the fate of their temporary charge, a displaced six-year-old Chinese girl. But to do so, they'll have to come to terms with the lies they have told themselves...

"Delicate yet searing...Shepard has ably portrayed how obsession with female beauty can disfigure not only families and individuals, but cultures and governments." (New York Times Book Review)

"Intricate and intriguing." (New York Daily News)

"A bravura performance." (Rosellen Brown)

"Plainspoken and direct, yet rich in complexities, the story...raises a host of compelling questions about heritage and family, and more than a few about contemporary art." (Publishers Weekly)

"An exhilarating debut." (Margot Livesey)

"Not since Virginia Woolf have the snares and scars of familial relationships been rendered with such brilliance