Susan Conley's memoir, The Foremost Good Fortune, is by turns poignant, informative, and funny. As Susan charts her way to an entirely new land she vividly captures China in all its bewildering juxtapositions. The honesty and intimacy of her writing makes it feel like you are taken by the hand on this compelling, difficult and inspiring journey. By the end I felt a profound kinship with her as a woman, mother and wife.