A Cup of Light

For expert American appraiser Lia Frank, the assignment is a dream come true: Fly to Beijing and appraise a stunning cache of rare imperial porcelain. Adored by emperors, these masterpieces are living embodiments of the past, with an irresistible pull on collectors, tycoons, master forgers, and, above all, the smugglers who risk capture and instant execution in the hopes of unimaginable wealth. All of them yearn for what the art can bring--wealth, power, a place in the world. Lia's whole life has been shaped by her passion for this art. Knowledge of her own life, however, is more elusive. As she treads dangerously in a culture that looks at foreigners with wary eyes, she moves slowly toward a very different kind of desire--and toward a life of her own.