In 17th-century China, in an elaborate villa on the shores of Hangzhou's West Lake, Peony lives a sheltered life. One night, during a theatrical performance in her family's garden, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man & is immediately overcome with emotion. So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire & sorrow, the living world & the afterworld. Eventually expelled from all she 's known, Peony is thrust into a realm where hungry ghosts wander the earth, written words have the power to hurt & kill, & dreams are as vivid as waking life ...