In this collection, Nona Mock Wyman shares the individual stories of the girls who lived at Ming Quong, a Chinese Orphanage in the Bay Area of California. This orphanage has roots in the nineteenth century, and it was opened to provide a home for Chinese girls. While the girls who lived here might have had a challenging childhood, they found family and community in the sisterhood they made for themselves. Many of these girls went on to become chefs, authors, mothers, scientists, and educators. Wyman shares that through hardship there can also be happiness. 
 
"Like the other Ming Quong women who share their stories and experiences in this book, I know that our lives were different being raised in an all- Chinese girls orphanage in America. The telling of our stories can only bring more understanding to everyone in all walks of life and perhaps help another child who feels alone in a similar predicament" (Wyman 33).