The first time Eliza sees Wah Chung he is squatting beside some rocks on the pathway to her island Elizas island is the one on which the lighthouse operated and maintained by her father stands sending its beacon of safety to ships at sea The pathway to the island is a treacherous one engulfed by water when the tide is high passable only when the tide is low and reveals the secret life of the sea on the rocks and in the pools that remainAlthough Eliza is careful to avoid Wah Chung as he paints among the rocks after all he is a Chinaman when a sneaker wave approaches the passage it is Wah Chung who warns her and then rescues Elizas goat Parthenia before both are swept awayIt is a simple act of kindness but one that causes Eliza to doubt many things Are the Celestials as the Chinese immigrants are called such a threat to their small town Are they really heathens as her father claims And what should she do when the townspeople conspire to expel these people forcibly How will Eliza act in the face of her fathers strong beliefs and his duties as the lighthouse keeper when Wah Chung comes to her for help in return