This novel tells the story of two young people who cross class barriers by various means during the best decade of China’s booming economic growth. It explores their pursuits and compromises in money, love, and careers. One willingly sacrifices herself; the other is drawn unwillingly into an exchange of soul for money. In the end, they both take the same path. Drawn from real life, the story reflects the growth and living conditions of a sizable circle of people who were “lucky” during this era. Told from the heroine’s perspective, the novel explores the tangled lives of people like them across careers, relationships, and other aspects of life. It offers insight into the growth of professional women and a clearer understanding of what society was really like over the past decade.
