Second Chinese Daughter delves into the evolving status and roles of women in society as depicted through the experiences of three generations of women in a Chinese family in Penang. Feng, the second daughter in a family of seven siblings, grapples with her lowly hierarchical position in her family and society. Set between the 1930s and '60s, against a backdrop of significant historical events and everyday life in Malaya during that period, this novel follows young Feng's struggle to gain her mother's love and an equitable position among her older siblings and in her community. The narrative traces some of the Chinese customs and practices at the time that reflect society's base view of women, and the lack of acceptance of their identities. Through the eyes of her grandmother and her mother, Feng sees the all-too-slow change in women's place in society, and endeavours to break away from the constricting world of her female ancestors to find a better place for herself.