China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society. Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Ying's husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, Tao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is taken away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party. As Kai Ying struggles to hold her family together, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets.
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