Intrigued by a pair of jade earrings once worn by the last Empress of China, a young Asian American woman “travels back in time” — journeying to three vibrant worlds: cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s, the twilight of the Qing dynasty in the early 1900s, and the dazzling yet conflicted Hollywood of the 1950s and 60s.

As she unravels the hidden stories behind the earrings, she uncovers an untold legacy of powerful, creative, and resilient Asian women — whose voices helped shape history from the shadows.