Even though this story is told through the eyes of Leila, the oldest daughter, I find myself asking if this story is even about her at all? It seems to me that she focuses on talking about Leon. She searches to find him to inform him that she is married, and then proceeds to tell the readers about the bones of Leon's father. She explains that because of the fact that Leon never sent his father's bones back to China, bad luck would follow.
Throughout the novel, several terrible things happen to Leon. His wife has an affair and he has a hard time finding jobs because he has so many fake birthdays and identities. He ends up starting a business with one of his good friends, only to find out that it dead ends. He then finds out that his favorite daughter killed herself by jumping out of a building after dating a man that he disapproved of. Not only does he lose Ona, but he also in a way loses Nina, because she moves to New York as soon as she can. The only person in this story who stays loyal to Leon is Leila, who isn't even his real daughter.
I do think that the family as a whole has issues, but I it all boils back down to Leon. If he would have taken his father's bones back to China, they wouldn't be having any of the bad luck.
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