The Joy Luck Club contains interwoven stories about conflicts between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-raised daughters. The book hinges on Jing-mei's trip to China to meet her half-sisters. twins Chwum Yu and Chwun Hwa.  The half sisters remained behind in China because Jing-mei's mother. Suyuan, was forced to leave them on the roadside during her desperate flight from Japan's invasion of Kweeilin during World War II. Jing Mei was born to a different father years later, In America. Suyuan intended to return to China for her other daughters, but failed to find them before her death.