This beautifully yet humorously illustrated story, which is derived from the oral histories of Chinese-Americans, tells of Hoi, a Chinese youth who came over to the United States to help build the railroad, He learned that traditional Chinese food was insufficient and inconvenient for the labor he was performing. That is when he discovered pie. "American pie."

The pies--"he ate all kinds of pies, peach, pumpkin, carrot, or gooseberry. But his favorites were Dutch apple, huckleberry, and lemon"--transformed his body into that of a Chinese superhero.. "...when a job needed extra strength, the men called for him."

The author then tells of his adventures working on the railroad and later as a packer for merchants. Until . . . well, every superhero has a weakness.