A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother’s voice compels the truth from any tongue. A granddaughter divines secrets in others’ dreams. These women are all of one lineage --- a Korean family split across decades and borders by Japanese imperialism. At this saga’s heart is Young-Ja, a girl who infuses food with her emotions. But her sunny childhood comes to an end in 1931 when Japanese soldiers crush her family’s defiance against the Empire. When a Korean rebel fighter notices her talents, however, she is whisked off to Manchuria to join a secretive sisterhood of beautiful teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. Decades later, Young-Ja lives alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams.