Plot summary

While trying to find her place in the world and establish herself as a writer, Billi, a young Chinese-American woman living in New York City, discovers that her beloved and seemingly indestructible grandmother, Nai Nai, is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. As a result, to spare Nai Nai the agony, Billi's family decides to keep the unsuspecting lady in the dark, going as far as to stage an impromptu wedding in her hometown of Changchun, China, to unite the scattered relatives and keep suspicion at bay. Now, for fear of not keeping her promise to maintain the lie, conflicted Billi's parents ask her to stay in the United States. However, Billi needs to say good-buy. Can she reconcile the contradictions between the Western lifestyle and the Chinese cultural beliefs with her ideals?—Nick Riganas