by Amy Tan
First published 2005
On a fateful art expedition through the Shan state of Burma, eleven American tourists board a boat for a sunrise cruise - and disappear without a trace. As their loved ones back home scramble to uncover their fate, the travelers find themselves lost in the lush, dangerous jungles, encountering a tribal people awaiting the return of their mystical leader and a mythical book that could protect them from the Myanmar regime's brutality. In this spellbinding tale of good intentions gone awry, Amy Tan weaves a gripping narrative of consequences, both grand and personal, as the disparate group grapples with the heavy price of their actions.
Genres: fiction, adventure, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, missing-persons
Setting: Burma, Shan State
474 pages · Hardcover · GP Putnam's Sons & Random House Publishing Group