This is the story of 17-year old Lily Hu in 1950s San Francisco Chinatown and her slow and risky introduction into lesbianism. It's all embedded within real historical events, with so many references to things and places and events and people that actually existed (the Author's Note explains a lot of them - well-researched! and if you want to read up on them, there's even a bibliography list). I devoured this book with lots of joy. It's interesting and thrilling and capturing. Go read it!