I read this a few decades ago when my mother had it and recommended it to me. I enjoyed it then and was delighted to enjoy it again. The story is set in eighth-century China, and covers the protagonist through a journey from the border to the capital. It's not linear, and the style and narrator change throughout.

The author, Jeanne Larsen, is a scholar of Chinese history and literature. She intersperses the main character's story with myths and stories and magic. I had a really good time reading this, and was stoked to learn there are two more books on the same theme.