“These women think I’m the nanny! Because I’m Chinese, and my half-British daughter doesn’t look like me!”

This quotation comes from an anecdote that Arabella often shares about the experience of being mistaken for a nanny when she was young. Because she is of Chinese heritage, many people assume that Arabella must be a staff member hired by a (presumably white) wealthy woman; casual observers never assume that she is a wealthy aristocrat herself. The quotation reveals the racism that Arabella faced while trying to integrate into English high society, and it also provides context for her social ambitions.

“It would not be surprising at all if Arabella’s kids ended up siring the next generation of Europe’s royals, and what fitting revenge that would be for the countess who was mistaken for the nanny.”

This quotation captures Arabella’s determination to see her children marry into white, titled European aristocracies. She wants to achieve this so that no one can ever question her social legitimacy again. The racism that Arabella has faced explains why she adopts such an overbearing parenting style.

“This was what she loved about Rufus, his raw creativity and how much of a nature boy he was, so much happier in his surf shack than in a grand manor.”

This quotation captures Eden’s reflections when she visits the cabin where Rufus likes to stay in Hawaii. Seeing the space gives Eden a new understanding of Rufus’s values and priorities, prompting her to realize the depths of her affection for him. Despite his upbringing, Rufus does not want to live in a stifled, wealthy world.

“It’s high time he came back to England and stepped up to his real duty—he must get married and give me lots of grandsons.”

Arabella says this when she explains her fixation on finding an appropriate wife for Rufus. Although she married into the aristocracy rather than being born into it, Arabella has adopted traditional values of family responsibility and inheritance. She wants to see Rufus have a son so that the Gresham family name and line of succession can be secured. Arabella’s values are much more old-fashioned than those of the rest of the Gresham family, who prove much more open to letting people live the lives they want.

“Think of what that money could do to help people in need, people on this very island. We’re sitting here watching five million dollars literally melt away before our eyes.”

Eden makes this observation when she witnesses the excessive consumerism of the wedding celebrations in Hawaii. Eden is keenly aware that many people would benefit from access to additional resources, and she feels disgust when she learns that an ice sculpture that will melt in a matter of hours cost millions of dollars to create. Her words show that she has strong moral values and is unimpressed by conspicuous displays of wealth.

“She might have had all the pedigree and the poise in the world, but she would never make Rufus happy in the long run.”

This passage shows Eden’s ruminations on her belief that Solene and Rufus are incompatible. At this point, Eden has not realized that she harbors romantic feelings for her lifelong friend, but she still feels strongly that Solene is not the right partner for Rufus. This quotation shows the depth of the connection between Rufus and Eden; she knows him so well that she can immediately detect what kind of woman will make him happy.

“Eden realized she had been exceedingly fortunate to have grown up in this protected way, to have lived in England as a Chinese woman but to have never truly suffered the real stings of prejudice in her daily life.”

This quotation captures the frustration, surprise, and anger that Eden feels when she encounters racist behavior during her visit to Hawaii. Because of her association with the Gresham family and some of the privilege she holds in Britain, Eden has never personally encountered racism. This moment reveals her character development as she becomes more conscious of how she is perceived by others.

“He smiled at Dr. Tong and the strikingly gorgeous girl beside him that he did not recognize but figured must be the Thai princess everyone was talking about.”

At this moment at Augusta’s wedding, Rufus briefly fails to recognize Eden because she is dressed more glamorously than usual. Rufus assumes that Eden is a princess, which reveals the arbitrary nature of social class and wealth; with the right appearance, a character’s class background can easily be concealed. His mistake of confusing Eden with a princess plays on the plot’s Cinderella allusions and shows that despite Eden’s modest social background, she is just as worthy of being his bride as any of the high-status women that Arabella selects.

“Arabella understood how to create a mystique around herself and quickly became the supreme arbiter of taste.”

This quotation shows that Arabella was able to overcome the racism and social exclusion that she initially faced after marrying into English high society. She deliberately cultivated a refined aesthetic sensibility and won people’s admiration. Significantly, while Arabella can be quite rigid and conservative, she has earned her social position through hard work rather than simply being born into it like many other characters.

“Who would ever suspect they’re fake when it’s me wearing them?”

Rosina poses this wry rhetorical question to Arabella after coyly revealing that she often wears a fake pearl necklace. The quotation reflects the role that perception and reputation play in determining social position. Because people know that Rosina is a wealthy and elegant woman, they would never question the authenticity of her jewels. In the world of the novel, characters readily deceive one another about their actual financial status by performing luxury and opulence.

“Your looks, however much you choose to deny it, are the key to securing your fortune and the welfare of your entire family for generations to come.”

Rosina makes this declaration to Rufus as she explains that he should leverage his physical attractiveness to find a wealthy bride. With this development, Kwan inverts the plot trope of a family trying to use a beautiful daughter to make a wealthy match, because the Gresham family relies on Rufus’s good lucks to attract a woman who can save them from their financial troubles. Just like the stereotypical female characters on which he is loosely based, Rufus is treated like an object and expected to deny his own wish to pursue a relationship with Eden.

“She now saw with alarming clarity that she had spent most of her life sublimating herself whenever she was around the Greshams.”

This quotation reflects the anger and frustration that Eden feels when she learns that she is being suspended from her job due to the public scene that Arabella caused. Eden begins to question whether the Gresham family has truly been a positive influence in her life, and she realizes that they have actually made her less confident and assertive. This moment marks a turning point in which Eden begins to care less about pleasing the Gresham family and starts to live life on her own terms.

“I give him…the world…and he hates me for it.”

Lying on his deathbed, Rene Tan makes this agonized comment to Thomas, expressing his sadness about his strained relationship with his son, Luis Felipe. Notably, Rene focuses only on the material luxuries that he has given to Luis, failing to realize that what Luis actually wanted was emotional closeness to his father. The quotation shows that the relationship between wealthy parents and their children is often eroded by misplaced priorities.

“Think of all the men, women, and children risking their lives right this second trying to cross this desert just to get a chance at a better life here.”

Eden says this to Rufus during their American road trip as she ponders the experiences of Mexican migrants who attempt to cross into the United States. This quotation reveals Eden’s keen sense of responsibility and social awareness, for even as she is enjoying a romantic trip with Rufus, she still thinks about the experiences of others who are less fortunate. The quotation also shows that Eden stands as a contrast to many characters who only think about themselves.

“Martha’s the right kind of Chinese to you only because of her money!”

Rufus delivers this accusation to Arabella, venting his frustration that his mother wants him to marry Martha despite his protestations that Eden is equally suitable. He is annoyed that Arabella disapproves of Eden even though both she and Martha are Chinese. The scene demonstrates that issues of class and race often intersect in the novel. Arabella prefers the idea of her children marrying white European aristocrats, but she is willing to tolerate a Chinese daughter-in-law if that woman is also extremely wealthy.

“I think Luis Felipe is hell-bent on punishing your family. He doesn’t want the money—-he wants you all kicked out of the house.”

Martha makes this statement to Rufus and Eden as she explains that Luis Felipe has rejected the terms she has offered. Martha kindly and generously offers to help the Gresham family pay off their debts but can only do so on a gradual timeline. She astutely recognizes that Luis Felipe is acting from an emotional motivation, not a logical one. His actions reveal the degree to which he has been hurt and offended by the snobbish way that the Greshams have treated him.

“I know how much you love this land, but I’ve never felt the same connection to it as you have.”

Rufus admits to his father that he is not attached to the idea of carrying on the legacy of the Gresham estate. Perhaps because he has both Asian and British roots, Rufus has a broader and more cosmopolitan worldview and feels comfortable in a wider variety of settings (especially Hawaii). Because Rufus is also an artist, he longs for a more creative and expansive life, although he deeply respects his father’s commitment to tradition.

“I’m simply saying that it was never a dream of mine to marry him, or anyone for that matter. I don’t sit around having Cinderella fantasies like you seem to think that I do.”

Eden makes this comment to Arabella, refuting the assumption that she longs to marry Rufus. Eden loves Rufus for himself, not for the wealth and status that he could offer her. Therefore, she does not care if their relationship is ever formalized by marriage. Eden specifically references the Cinderella story as a way to refute the stereotype of a less wealthy woman elevating her social position by marrying a man of greater wealth and status.

“I’m Chinese. I can’t ever change that about me, and I wouldn’t want to. But you hate that about me, because for some reason you hate that about yourself.”

In this scene, Eden addresses Arabella after Arabella threatens to blackmail her with the information about her biological father. Eden’s patience finally snaps, and she accuses Arabella of hating her due to her own self-loathing. Eden shows that she is psychologically astute by identifying Arabella’s motivations for mistreating her even as she makes it clear that she is no longer willing to tolerate such abuse.

“You’re the only father I’ve ever known, and you’ll always be my one and only darling father!”

In this passage, Eden reassures Thomas that his true status as her biological uncle will not change her feelings about him. Her effusive outburst shows that the bonds of family are not determined solely by blood. In fact, many of the biological parents depicted in the novel make their children very unhappy, while Thomas loves and nurtures Eden unconditionally.

“I said…you must marry my son!”

In a comically ironic reversal, Arabella makes this declaration when she first learns that Eden is extremely wealthy after inheriting Rene Tan’s fortune. Throughout the novel, Arabella has adamantly tried to block a marriage between Rufus and Eden, but she completely changes her opinion as soon as she finds out that Eden is a heiress. This moment shows how superficial and selfish Arabella truly is.

“I’ve seen firsthand how having too much money isn’t good for anyone, and I think wealth inequality is one of our planet’s greatest problems.”

Eden states this upon inheriting a vast fortune and explaining what she plans to do with it. Many people immediately become fawn over Eden as soon as they know that she is rich, but her own values do not change. She wants to use her newfound wealth to make the world a better place, and she does not particularly care about living a life of luxury or opulence.

“I’ll propose to the woman I love when I feel like it’s the perfect moment—and this is not it.”

In this scene, Rufus takes a stand and sets boundaries with his family, explaining that he is not going to propose to Eden immediately. Although the two of them are in love and plan to spend their lives together, they don’t feel any pressure to enter into a legal contract. While many of the other marriages in the novel are depicted as financial transactions or efforts to secure a greater social status, Rufus and Eden focus on their emotional bond and commit to simply being together.