At the dawn of a new century, America is falling in love with silent movies, including young Wong Liu Tsong. By sixteen, Wong Liu has already chosen a stage name, Anna May, and leaves high school to pursue her Hollywood dreams, defying her disapproving father and her traditional Chinese upbringing. Anna May gets her big break—and her first taste of Hollywood fame—starring opposite Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad. Yet her beauty and talent aren’t enough to overcome the racism that relegates her to supporting roles as a helpless, exotic butterfly or a vicious, murderous dragon lady, while Caucasian actresses in “yellowface” are given starring roles portraying Asian women. Anna May fights to become a star, financially support her family, and keep her illicit love affairs hidden—even as she finds freedom and glittering success abroad, and receives glowing reviews across the globe.