▁transl ator ▁and ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁the ▁book , ▁as ▁the ▁novel ▁progress es ▁the ▁stories ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁characters ▁become ▁so ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Records ▁that ▁the ▁line ▁is ▁bl ur red ▁between ▁fact ▁and ▁fiction , ▁past ▁and ▁present . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁▁▁ ▁Ji ang ▁Li - ling : ▁Li - ling , ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Marie ▁and ▁Ma - li , ▁is ▁the ▁main ▁character ▁and ▁narr ator ▁of ▁the ▁book . ▁The ▁novel ▁sh ifts ▁from ▁present ▁day ▁where ▁Marie ▁interact s ▁with ▁her ▁Ma ▁and ▁A i - ming , ▁to ▁past ▁gener ations ▁where ▁characters ▁like ▁Big ▁Mother ▁Kn ife ▁and ▁S par row ▁struggle ▁with ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution ▁in ▁China . ▁ ▁Ji ang ▁K ai : ▁K ai ▁is ▁Marie ' s ▁father . ▁We ▁learn ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁that ▁he ▁leaves ▁his ▁daughter ▁and ▁wife ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁eventually ▁commits ▁suic ide . ▁Later ▁we ▁learn ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁close ▁relationship ▁with ▁S par row ▁growing ▁up , ▁which ▁stem med ▁from ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁classical ▁music ▁at ▁the ▁Shang hai ▁Conserv atory ▁of ▁Music . ▁ ▁Ma : ▁Ma ▁takes ▁care ▁of ▁her ▁daughter , ▁Marie , ▁back ▁in ▁V ancouver . ▁She ▁also ▁takes ▁A i - ming ▁into ▁her ▁home ▁upon ▁receiving ▁word ▁that ▁she ▁is ▁seeking ▁refuge ▁after ▁the ▁T ian an men ▁Square ▁protest s . ▁ ▁A i - ming : ▁A i - ming ▁is