"Happy family" is not just the name of a dish on a Chinese menu--it also refers ironically to the relationships that Hua Wu discovers in her new home, New York City. Originally from Fuzhou, China, Hua Wu spends most of her time missing her homeland and her grandmother before connecting in a West Village park with Jane Templeton and her daughter, Lily, who was adopted from China. Soon, the young Chinese woman leaves her restaurant job to nanny for Jane and Richard, Jane's husband. A strong bond quickly grows between Hua Wu and Lily; when the familial facade finally fractures, Hua Wu takes the steps that she believes are necessary to protect Lily.