Set in remote northwestern Xinjiang, China, during the darkest days of the Cultural Revolution, this novel tells the story of twelve-year-old Love Lui's efforts to learn English from a dashing young teacher who comes to his village from Shanghai. Just as a whole new world begins to open up for Liu, his teacher's lack of conformity leads to accusations and recriminations in an atmosphere where innuendo can cost someone his life and Liu's ideals must face a test more challenging than any test he will meet in the classroom.