Ivy Lin, a Chinese immigrant growing up in a low-income apartment complex outside Boston, is desperate to assimilate with her American peers. Her parents disapprove. But Ivy has a secret weapon, her grandmother Meifeng, from whom she learns to shoplift to get the things she needs to fit in. But when Ivy's mother discovers her trespasses, punishment is swift and Ivy is sent to China, and her dreams instantly evaporate. Filled with surprising twists and a nuanced exploration of class and race.