This semi-autobiographical story tells of Grace Tay, and her attempts to find peace in the wake of her mother's death. The funeral takes her back to Singapore where she encounters her father and brother, and the rest of their extended family. Beyond seeking more answers for the mysterious death of her mother, Grace searches for a sense of identity and for a sense of home.
Grace reveals that she doesn't always understand how she is supposed to feel. The family is actually Chinese by ethnicity, but she was raised in Singapore and Malaysia before being moved to Australia later in her childhood. These constant moves put Grace in completely different countries, constantly changing her cultural surrounding, constantly having to adapt in order to survive. She tells about the sacrifices and frustrations of life as an immigrant.
As she continues talking with her family and exploring various elements of her culture, Grace realizes that her story is one of resilience and adaptation. She tells in her prose about how parents sometimes have unrealistic, painful expectations, which children are naturally programmed to try to fulfill, even when the expectations are unrealistic. Grace feels that way about moving so much and then attaining her education.
