Starry River of the Sky

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2012

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-9

Chapters 10-18

Chapters 19-27

Chapters 28-36

Chapters 37-45

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Authorial Context: Writing and Identity

As one of the few Asian American children where she grew up in upstate New York, Grace Lin dismissed her roots, choosing instead to ignore her heritage because it seemed easier to do so. As a child, she had no interest in her Chinese heritage (only later learning that her family is actually from Taiwan), and her first experiences with Chinese myth came through translated stories that she found to be simplistic and boring. Later, when she traveled to China as an adult, seeing the places that those stories described sparked a new, intense interest in the culture she had grown up hearing about. This interest led her to write nearly autobiographical fiction about her experiences as an Asian American person. Her interests leaned toward fantasy after her first husband was diagnosed with cancer, and he suggested that she try writing something new. This advice inspired Lin to dive into the expansive world of Chinese folklore, incorporating existing tales and making up her own based on stories of the culture’s many gods and spirits.

Through her fiction, Lin brings ancient stories to a modern audience with emotionally accessible books that resonate with all readers, particularly those who also have a Chinese heritage. As a member of the advisory committee for We Need Diverse Books (a movement dedicated to ensuring that schools provide books that represent people of all cultures), Lin has embraced the cause of normalizing Asian culture in America and has made this endeavor a distinct part of her identity, both as a person and as an author. For this reason, Starry River of the Sky, as well as its companion novels (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and When the Sea Turned to Silver) offer compelling stories about characters with understandable struggles such as feeling unloved by parents or wanting to help their families to rise from poor conditions. By interweaving these every-person narratives with figures from Chinese mythology, Lin’s books send the message that all people are essentially the same, regardless of background, heritage, or culture.

Cultural Context: Chinese Mythology and Folklore

Both the characters and the larger world of Starry River of the Sky are deeply rooted in the tales and myths of China. Lin incorporates her own unique interpretations of well-known folktales and myths and imbues the narrative with elements of Chinese culture to tell a story that is both magical and familiar. Within the context of the novel, Rendi and Peiyi come from two very different worlds, but those worlds are instantly recognizable, even if readers are unfamiliar with the broader patterns of Chinese mythology. Both characters embody universal character types (specifically, the unhappy son of a rich father who ignores him, and the daughter of a broken home). Because such character types often have real-world analogues, these figures allow Lin’s readers to identify with the protagonists’ struggles and allow themselves to get swept up in the magic of the world that Lin creates. Elements of Chinese mythology also imbue prominent characters within the narrative, for Mr. Shan is eventually revealed to be the mythical mountain spirit who took his mountain away upon being insulted, thereby toppling the moon from the sky prior to the story’s opening. Likewise, Madam Chang herself is the displaced moon. These quasi-magical events set up the twists and turns that Rendi and Peiyi must navigate in order to solve the mystery of the missing moon and restore balance to the world. In Chinese mythology, the moon is a powerful symbol that is associated with water, toads, rabbits, and many other elements and creatures, and these aspects also appear throughout the novel as hints to the myth that hides beneath the novel’s plot. The belief that a great mountain held up the moon is taken straight from Chinese mythology, and Lin uses this age-old tale to structure and enrich the relationship between Madam Chang and Mr. Shan.

Lin also uses elements of Chinese culture and belief to further embellish her world. For example, the rice bowls, gangs (wine bowls), and other objects of the story world are decorated in elaborate patterns, some of which feature power animals like rabbits and fish. On one particularly dark night, Madam Chang leads the villagers in making firefly lanterns by capturing fireflies in translucent cloths. These lanterns are similar to sky lanterns (also known as Chinese lanterns), which were traditionally used during festivals (as in the novel) and during wartime. Materials such as jade and silk are highly prized, and as is traditional in Chinese cultures, brides wear red rather than the white dresses of European tradition. Lin’s characters also drink traditional wine, including the realgar wine, in order to protect themselves against poisons, and foods like rice, dumplings, and taro (vegetable) cakes are present at many meals. Thus, even the most mundane details of Lin’s story are designed to honor and explain myriad aspects of Chinese culture, making it accessible for a widespread audience and thereby encouraging appreciation for diversity.