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She used the situation to grow and overcome her fears and anxiety. She goes on to become more brave and cherishes her relationships. Taking her opportunity to get back with Axel, and rekindle her relationship with her father. The book goes through the perfections and imperfections of the winding road through life.

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Leigh eventually just lets go of the thought that her mother is a bird and accepts the past. Accepts the time she shared with her and her viewpoints. She becomes happy with the knowledge bestowed on her. And comes to peace and solace.

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This book is a perfect representation of confronting the past to pave the way for the future. She must overcome her past to grow as a person. The bottom line of this book is about Mental Illness, a battle her mother faced. Throughout the high points and low points of her life, from being a young kid to become an adult. How she tried to overcome; tried to face it, but lost.

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Her mother being a music teacher, impacting the youth; being the beacon of light to the Neighborhood. Her dad a businessman traveling all around the country, trying to provide for them. Letting them afford a good town house and never having to worry about money.  This was important to the way she grew up. “...in the house where I’ve lived my whole life. Pear-green walls. An arched entryway. My living room. Mom’s at the piano; a Beethoven sonata flies from her fingers…”. The story is gravely influenced on where she was from, who she was from, which eventually led to who she became.

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She can't speak the Taiwanese or Mandarin languages. “Vegetables and uncooked dumplings and porridges and tofu and pickled things-- “Yao buyao?” “Yao,” I tell her. Yes. Want. It’s a relief that I understand this at least.” (page 59) Things like this are proven many times throughout the book. Like in terms of her appearance, “The woman wipes her fingers on her apron, wraps up our breakfast order. Her eyes flicker over me, linger for a moment on my face, as purposeful as a torch. “Hunxie,” she says to my grandmother…”(page 79). She is described as being a hunxie, half-blood, biracial, exotic. In this book the Taiwan people hold the power, due to their nativeness to Taiwan, their looks and abilities. This can at times make Leigh feel uncomfortable, however it was good for her because she could grow from the experiences and learn. She was so accustomed to a certain way of life in America.

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When she travels to Taiwan it's an important moment for her. She meets a new world, for she is half taiwanese. They never fully embraced the culture, although her mother tried to consistently keep her connected to it. Also her father making a surprisingly great effort at it, knowing how to speak the language, read it and write it. Even after their efforts Leigh notices when she goes there, she is treated differently. Treated like an outcast, due to her half irish blood.

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The setting and culture play a massive role in this book. Starting off with the important truth that she knows very little about her mother's past. She has never met her mother's parents; her grandparents. It's all a blur, especially because everytime she asks about them they suddenly change the topic. What was she missing? What were they trying to keep her from?

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By the end of the story, it shows her to be dedicated, brave, and at peace; resolved. She uses the quest to better grow as an individual and you see it. “I understand if you need to think about it. And I understand if, after you’re done thinking, you decide it’s not a good idea. I just want you to know--” “Axel,” I tell him. “Shut up.” And then I do possibly the bravest thing I’ve ever done: I close the space between us and kiss him, hard.” She changes and decides to cherish relationships, live without fear nor regret, for she has loved before.

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The main conflict in this book is the problem of her mother passing away, a caring and thoughtful soul. Whose life came to an abrupt end one chilling night. After this Leigh starts seeing this beautiful, mystical reddish-orange phoenix of a bird. A stunning conquincidence of view happening right after her mother died. She knew after the first time she saw it, it was her mother. The underlying message takes Leigh across the world in a brave search, to find answers.

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(The second main conflict)
Starting immediately off in the book she explains kissing her best friend, an individual unpronouncely forbidden to her. “The cloud of debris consisted of remembering: that he was my best friend, that he was the only person I trusted a hundred percent besides Mom, that I shouldn’t be kissing him, couldn’t be kissing him--”. A caring articulate person who consistently in the book uses his thoughts and words to splash paint onto a canvas. A bond and tie they have formed around each other through the years spent. The story between the two characters is sort of the second character, throughout the book. The question of will they be together? Did she internally ruin their relationship, did he by dating someone else? At the beginning, she is seen to be confused and indecisive.

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In “The Astonishing Color of After” by Emily X.R. Pan, the main character, is conflicted, overwhelmed, and uncertain. A multi-racial Asian and Irish American. Who in this book goes through many dilemmas, from the way she is treated being "mixed". To having relationship issues, to her mother committing suicide.