After losing her family in Shanghai in 1941, Irene, a young Russian-American, is taken to an interment camp. She is forced to rely on a Japanese officer. Many years later, she discovers that her family has survived the war. She has to choose between her precarious gaijin life, as a member of a rich Japanese clan, and the seemingly reanimated past.

SYNOPSIS:

Irene Coal lives with her middle class family in Shanghai of the 1930s. Her mother is a Russian émigré who fled to China from the Bolsheviks. Irene's father is an employee of an American company. Irene has 2 sisters and a brother. She is an introvert quiet girl, the youngest child in the family.

In December 1941 Irene loses her family in the port amid the panicking refugees and stays in Shanghai alone, without shelter and friends.

At first Irene works as a cleaner at a convent hospital, but later Irene is taken notice of Vera, a young Russian. She gives Irene shelter in return for her being Vera's partner in a dance show for a night club.

Akito Abe, a Japanese officer of high rank, awkwardly tries to seek her affection, but she shuns him.

One night, a drunk patron who knew her family publicly announces that Irene is an American citizen. The next day Japanese soldiers take Irene to the interment camp.

Irene endures usual trials of the camp life. A typhoid epidemic begins. A new group of American prisoners arrives, and Irene learns from them that the ship which was taking her family to the US, was bombed and sank.

Shortly after Irene is escorted to the administrative office. She enters the room and sees Akito. He tells her directly that he intends to make her his lover and is making arrangements to send her to Japan. Irene is horrified.

In a few days she catches a typhoid fever. Akito brings her to his apartment in Shanghai and later sends her to Japan with fake ID papers.

Irene is accepted into a large patriarchal clan and learns that Akito is married and has two children. This news as well as the strange environment shock her and cause a serious depression. Akito's wife, Kyoko, nurses her to health and eventually becomes her best friend.

After the war the Abe regained their prosperity and influence. In the mid 1950, Irene lives in Akito's family as his official lover. She continues to look for the information on her family. Kyoko's health is getting worse gradually.

One day Irene discovers that her family indeed has survived the war. By now, two her sisters live in the US.

Irene flies to America to visit her sisters. She stays with them for some time and soon finds out that they are not happy at all to see her alive: her mother bequeathed the part of her property to Irene should she be found some day, and the sisters would prefer that she had never turned up so that they could inherit her money.

Irene's hopes of the reunion with her family are dashed. Disappointed, she returns to Japan and learns that Kyoko is dying. Tending to Kyoko, she re-evaluates her past, realizing that her real family were the people who helped her to survive the war mayhem.

After Kyoko's death, Akito speaks his mind for the first time after the years of hidden confrontation. Akito reveals that although all these years Irene seemed to belong to him completely, her thoughts and dreams were somewhere else, with her illusive family, and he could do nothing to have her attention. But now, once her family is no longer in the way, she has nowhere to hide and will be totally his. Irene ponders on Akito's words. They face a chance to become closer now and get their relationship to a new level.

There is a book version of the story.