Beijing Tales (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780578832838)

It is the year 2013. Parsley Wang, an employee of Sin Man Bank, has another romantic failure that she blames on her destiny as a dutiful Chinese daughter living with an elderly widowed mother whose Chinese-ness is at odds with her desire to assimilate.

Grace Kim, Parsley's best friend and co-worker, signs up for a post at the new overseas bank branch in Beijing. She believes it would benefit Parsley to work there, too and signs her up without telling her.

Mr. McGee, the widowed neighbor who harbors romantic feelings for Mrs. Wang (unbeknownst to her and Parsley), assures Parsley he can help out her mother, Mrs. Wang, while Parsley is away.

Beijing unexpectedly dazzles Parsley with striking new buildings, scenic parks, and palaces. She immerses herself in the city and its culture and begins to appreciate her Chinese heritage. And she meets a Chinese Canadian named Andrew Han.

But not all is well. Tina Grecian, the Beijing branch head, works with Jim Clark, a regional head of the bank in the U.S., to embezzle money from the bank for a dream life in Buenos Aires and will let nothing get in her way. And Mr. McGee's daughter, Wynn, and her sister Megan want Mrs. Wang out of their father's life.