'But I don't hate Chung King!' Gianetta cried passionately. 'I love it. I love the temples and pagodas and the plum blossom and the junks on the river. What I hate is only being able to see these things from a distance. I want to visit the temples. I want to walk out on the hills beneath the plum trees. I want to enjoy China, not be protected from it!'

Beneath the light of the moon the Chinese Moonflower blooms only one night of the year. No European has seen it blossom, and Zachary Cartwright is determined to do so. Giannetta Hollis, niece of the British Envoy, becomes an uninvited member of the expedition, to travel to the remotest part of China in search of Moonflowers. It is a decision that transforms her life, bringing her more adventure than she had ever dreamed possible, and love beyond her wildest imaginings.