At the beginning of the novel, Violet is a seven-year-old American girl living in Shanghai. Her green eyes and curly brown hair give no hint that she is half Chinese. Violet forms the mistaken belief that her mother doesn’t really love her. When her mother boards a steamer for San Francisco, leaving Violet in the care of a charlatan who sells her to a courtesan house, this confirms her suspicions. Violet’s life is marked by a desperate attempt to receive the perfect love she desperately craves.

Despite her survival instincts and good head for business, her need for love leads her into a series of disastrous relationships. As one of her mother’s friends tells her, “You are never satisfied with the amount or kind of love you have. You want more and you suffer from never being able to have enough. And even though more may be in front of you, you don’t see it” (203). At the end of the story, Violet is finally able to let go of her unrealistic expectations and accept the love that surrounds her.