Shanghai Passenger follows Ruby, a young Scottish writer who has just landed in Shanghai, as she attempts to write her first novel in the world's most exciting metropolis. Having found her new best friend Rose and fallen in love with Roman, it seems that life couldn't be better. Until it stops being better. The novel weaves the ancient story of Zhuangzi's Dream of the Butterfly with a coming-of-age story that is laced with satirical bite. With the inimitable whore of the Orient as its backdrop, Shanghai Passenger is also an exploration of fast-paced development at a pivotal moment in Chinese history.