each time that i opened this book and began reading i felt instantly transported to 19th-century china. i could easily describe my imagined version of lily's home because i feel as though i lived there on my journey through lily's life. i also really enjoyed the lessons learned about women and friendship. i say "lessons learned" because one of the book's most endearing assets is the fact that is told through the eyes of lily as an older adult. you get the benefit of feeling like your experiencing the events alongside of lily but also gently being pulled back from the story every so often to hear about her newfound understanding that can only come from looking back.