Revolving around the talk-stories of her mother, Brave Orchid, the work blends fact and fiction into an autobiography.  
The fourth chapter, "At the Western Palace" refers to the tale of an emperor with four wives and serves as an analogy for the storyteller's sister.  "Shaman", the third chapter, focuses on the author's mother, who was a doctor, midwife, and destroyer of ghosts in her village.  "Better to raise geese than girls" is a phrase repeated throughout the book, highlighting the paternalistic nature of Chinese society.  Revolving around the talk-stories of her mother, Brave Orchid, the work blends fact and fiction into an autobiography.  FTP, name this memoir of Maxine Hong Kingston.
The fourth chapter, "At the Western Palace" refers to the tale of an emperor with four wives and serves as an analogy for the storyteller's sister.  
The Woman Warrior