Mei-Ling Hopgood was an all-American girl. She grew up in the Midwest, studied journalism at the University of Missouri, and became a reporter for a Michigan newspaper. Adopted when she was a baby, she was never really curious about her Asian roots. Then one day, when she was in her twenties, her birth family from Taiwan came calling'”on the phone, on the computer, by fax'”in a language she didn't understand. The Wangs wanted to meet her; they wanted her to return home. But this unexpected reunion has a price, as she uncovers devastating secrets that haunt the Wangs to this day. Lucky Girl journeys into Chinese culture'”its magnificent sights, war-torn history, and sumptuous foods'”while revealing the personal suffering wrought by the country's tightly held traditions. Mei-Ling's is a tale of love and loss, frustration, hilarity, deep sadness, and great discovery as she comes to understand the true meaning of family.