Like so many of her young compatriots, Lili Lin lives on the margins of societyshe has been jailed for having a corrupt lifestyle and hooliganism, and at 24 she is unemployable because she doesnt have connections and unmarriageable because she isnt a virgin. Estranged from her parents, restless and cynical, she drifts from day to day. Then she meets an American journalist infatuated with China, who gradually opens her eyes to what is happening. Together they embark on a journey that will profoundly change Lilis view of her country and of herself.From the Trade Paperback edition.