In 1973, Chinese writer Sanmao (Echo Chen Ping, 1943-91) marries Spanish naval engineer José María Quero while living together in the Spanish Sahara. Sanmao recounts her daily experiences in Tales From the Sahara, a book that is a best-selling phenomenon in Taiwan and China. Sanmao then becomes an icon for independent women and the protagonist of a life that takes on legendary overtones: love, adventure, literature and, finally, tragedy.