Synopsis
As the head of the household, Qiao Hai Yun (Song Chun Li) has made it a rule that no matter where they are, or what they’re doing in life, all of her family members must come home for New Year. With three grown daughters, Hai Yun has enforced this rule for years but when her granddaughter Li Yi Jin (Sandra Ma) decides to break from tradition, Hai Yun is forced to take a hard look at her family and the relationships that bind them together.
As the daughter of Meng Ming Wei (Xu Fan), Hai Yun’s eldest, Yi Jin carries more than just the burden that comes with being the eldest daughter. With a mother who was adopted into the family, Yi Jin was raised under tremendous pressure from her mom. With grand ambitions for her daughter, Ming Wei pushed Yi Jin hard, thus straining the relationship between them. Unlike her elder sister, Meng Wang Qing (Liang Jing) has always had a perfect relationship with her daughter Tao Shu Na (Sun Qian), but when the two discover secrets about each other, their perfect relationship is put to the test. Meanwhile, Meng Yi An (Li Xiao Ran), the youngest of Hai Yun’s daughters, has always fought against the strong similarities between them. But no matter how hard she tries to forge her own path, fate always seems to find a way to lead Yi An down a similar path.
Though different in their unique ways, the three generations of Meng women are bound by more than fate. Like a flock of birds, they journey through life together, supporting each other as they navigate the sometimes tumultuous currents of life. Will this bond between them be shaken by the acts of a rebellious young woman or will they find that their family ties are stronger than any of them ever realized?
Adapted from the “She and Her Islands” by Yi Nan, “The Islands” is a 2024 Chinese family drama directed by Lin Yan.
