Three, Five and Six hold no value in their village or their family. They are girls and therefore, like chopsticks, unimportant and easily breakable while boys are roofbeams, strong and supportive. This lack of import is brought home in their names which are numbers assigned to them based on the order of their birth. However, this changes when the three sisters move to Nanjing. The change is at first shocking to them and they are often mocked for their countrified ways. But as they learn new skills and earn money not only to sustain themselves but also to send back home, even their father is forced to concede that girls are not valueless.

While this may initially read as a bit of feminist fiction, the book is much more than that. Through the eyes of Three, Five and Six we don’t just explore attitudes towards women in China but China itself – specifically Nanjing. The book becomes a lesson on its history and culture and the bright glance towards the future that people there look forward to.

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