Much of this novel deals with Western Whiteness (particularly a White woman) as Other. If you are interested in that idea I would recommend this book. At the same time that the novel critiques Whiteness (and then embraces it simultaneously unlike the outcomes of other forms of othering ), it also critiques the Communist Party in China during the 1980s. The trauma of the social and political setting is well encapsulated in the words of Lion Head, a key character,
Love is a song... It's all in the presentation. I worship love for its magic and power. Do I know what it is? Your're asking the wrong person. We grew up with hatred--how are we suppose to know love?
Reference
Min, A. (1995). Katherine. NY: Berkley Books.