Amy Tans fifth novel takes a group of travelers and strands them in the jungles of Myanmar when a bridge they are crossing collapses. There, they tangle with a local tribe who declare one of their party a god who can save them from the ruthless militarist regime. The tourists include an expert on tropical plants, a famous dog trainer, a teenage boy, and the narrator--the ghost of a woman who was prevented from joining the tour by her sudden death.