Minli lives with her parents in a tiny hut in a poverty-stricken village at the foot of Fruitless Mountain. During the day, they work hard in the rice fields. Minli's mother, very unhappy with her lot in life, worries and sighs painfully. To soften their burdens, Minli's father fills the evening telling stories that his child loves. Bright-eyed and clever, Minli loves her parents and wants to help them. Given two coins at her birth, she spends one of them to buy a goldfish – which the salesman promised would bring good luck.

When she releases the goldfish into the Jade River, the goldfish speaks to Minli and tells her where she can find the Old Man of the Moon who can tell her how to change her family's misfortunes. Minli gathers her few meager possessions, leaves her parents a note, and sets off on a dubious quest.

Filled with disparate stories within her larger one, Minli helps and is helped by an array of characters – most notably a dragon. The embedded stories have great significance, and Grace Lin binds them into an enchanting whole.