Starry River of the Sky is a children’s fantasy novel by Grace Lin. A runaway boy named Rendi ends up in the Village of Clear Sky, becoming a chore boy at an inn for Master Chao. He notices that the moon is missing and hears a loud moaning every night, but no one else seems to notice. Angry and embittered with his past, he intends to leave the village as soon as possible. But when a mysterious woman comes to the inn, he begins to wonder about the villagers and questions his desires and behavior. What is his secret wish?
The book has very poetic language, vivid similes, and wonderful folktales. One thing I noticed was one of the Chinese folktales in the book was similar to a Jewish tale I read. I found it interesting how there are similarities between folktales or stories from different places. The illustrations by Grace Lin are beautiful, just like the ones in When the Sea Turned to Silver.
I like the mystery surrounding Rendi and the other characters. I wondered who Rendi and the other characters were and what their intentions are. I read When the Sea Turned to Silver first, so I noticed connections between the two books.
There are themes of kindness, selflessness, and forgiveness. Over the story, Rendi changes from an angry, confused, and selfish child to a more patient, self-aware, and selfless one. He learns to be kind and patient with others. He learns to face the truth about himself he has been trying to run away from, to acknowledge his flaws and fix them by improving his behavior. Other good people around him help him to change for the better, being the role models he needs in his life.
The main message is that secret to peace is forgiveness, and that unforgiveness only harms the one who refuses to forgive. I was pleasantly surprised by this message. Forgiving one another is one of the most important things God commands us to do. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiving others, especially ones who have hurt you deeply, can be difficult, but it is not impossible to do. With God, all things are possible. We just have to be willing to do what God wills us to do. Though, I would add that you can’t have true peace without Jesus as the Lord of your life. Still, I very much appreciate the message of this book, and it is an important takeaway for readers young and old.
Rendi and other characters lie to some people, but they do it to save the day, not that lying is the right thing to do.
One thing I found odd was that in one of the folktales, a man, who appears young, marries a young woman. But the man is technically years older than the woman. There is also a brief moment where one man is naked, but he gets clothes soon after.
I questioned the ethics of an adult taking in a child he doesn’t know and then putting him to work at an inn. Master Chao isn’t mean or cruel, but it was weird how he just makes a young boy his new chore boy. However, though Rendi hates the work, he is paid back by getting a place to sleep, having a roof over him, and getting food. Also, Rendi doesn’t refuse to do any work, it’s just wordlessly agreed upon, at least until Rendi finds a way to leave the village.
This book is slow-paced, but it works for the story since it’s focused more on Rendi’s character growth and internal struggles.
I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to children around eight to twelve and anyone interested in reading Grace Lin’s books. If you enjoy this book, you may like When the Sea Turned to Silver. I intend to read Grace Lin’s other book Where the Mountain Meets the
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