Vivian is embarrassed by the magic that runs in her family. To ward it off, she leaves Malaysia for England and a "sensible" job and "ordinary" hobbies. Then her Nai Nai (grandmother) dies, and she returns to Malaysia to find herself entrenched, once again, in a world of magic.

I could have easily substituted "culture" for "magic," because that's really what the story is about. Through gorgeous descriptions of clothing, magical rituals, and traditional behaviors, Zen Cho shows us a woman who comes to love and accept who she is. ( )