The year is 1933, and seven-year-old Li Keng Gee's life is about to change forever. Her father has decided to bring his family from a small village in southern China to "Gold Mountain," the United States. California. Now Li Keng, her mama, and her two sisters will embark on a remarkable journey that will take them halfway around the world. Getting to America is not easy. The family travels by foot, by train, and by boat. Even more difficult is getting past America's strict anti-Chinese immigration laws. To do so, the family must keep secrets and offer well-rehearsed lies to American officials. The Gees are detained for processing along with other Asian immigrants at Angel Island, in San Francisco Bay. The conditions are harsh and uncertainty and fear hang in the air. Any misstep could mean deportation. Life in America during the Great Depression brings many exciting surprises as well as a few disappointments. Li Keng loves the American school she attends each day and she makes friends with other children in her neighborhood. Hunger, poverty, police raids, frequent moves, and the occasional sting of racism are a part of everyday life, but slowly Li Keng and her family find stability and a true home in Gold Mountain.