Years after the death of her cruel and complicated mother, Erika's house is
still full of the things Michiko left behind: an onigiri basket, a Wedgewood tea
set, a knotted ring from Okinawa. In defiance of Japanese tradition, Erika has
also kept the urn containing Michiko's ashes, refusing to put her memory to
rest. Erika throws herself into working as a chef at a high-end London
restaurant and pretends everything is fine. But when a cousin announces that she
will be visiting from Japan, Erika's resolve begins to crack. Slowly the things
Michiko owned reveal stories of Michiko's youth amid the upheaval of Tokyo
during and after the war. As the two women's stories progress and entwine, Erika
is drawn to the island of Okinawa, the homeland of her grandmother. It's a place
of magic and mysticism where the secrets of Erika's own past are waiting to be
revealed.