Sue Lynn Tan’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess describes the adventurous life of the daughter of the Chinese Moon Goddess. In the novel, Tan reimagines two famous figures from Chinese mythology: Chang’e and Houyi. Houyi was a renowned and heroic mortal archer who shot nine of the ten suns to create a livable environment for the common people; his wife, Chang’e, was forced to take an elixir by those who envied Houyi, which sent Chang’e to the Moon. Though she became immortal, Chang’e was forever separated from Houyi. In the novel, Tan crafts a mythical daughter of the couple, Xingyin, and narrates a series of adventures she experiences in her teenage years.

I first learned of this book when a friend recommended it to me. Reading the online summary immediately piqued my curiosity. I was excited to see what an extended, English-language version of a famous Chinese myth would be like. After reading the first few chapters, I could not even stop myself from continuing. Even though the whole book is written in English, Tan preserves the Chinese aspects of the story: the character names are in meaningful Chinese characters (although written in pinyin, the standard English transliteration), the traditional designs of Chinese palaces are delivered majestically and vividly, and the customs and etiquette of the Celestial Kingdom are described with great accuracy. These aspects make the story feel real, and the language difference does not make the story “un-Chinese” to Chinese readers like me.

One aspect of the novel that I enjoy is its pacing. For example, in the first chapter, in less than twenty pages, a string of events happens so quickly that I feel like my eyes have been glued to the book. The story begins with Xingyin, who is only twelve, living comfortably in the Moon Palace with his mother, Chang’e, and a servant, Ping’er. They are the only three inhabitants of the Moon. One day, an unexpected guest arrives: the Celestial Empress. Chang’e seems so shocked and worried that she immediately tells Xingyin to stay in her room and not be seen by the Celestial Empress. Clueless as to what is going on, Xingyin obeys Chang’e’s orders, but her curiosity does not stop her from sneakily listening to the conversation. After the Celestial Empress leaves, Xingyin talks to her mother and combines what she has just heard. She feels like her brain cannot handle so much new shocking information: her mother is an exile on the moon; no one outside of the Moon Palace knows about Xingyin’s birth (in fact, Chang’e was not even supposed to give birth to Xingyin); the Celestial Empress senses Xingyin’s aura; and, most terribly, Chang’e and Xingyin will face death if Xingyin is discovered to be the daughter of Chang’e. Everything happens so quickly that, the next moment, Xingyin learns that the safest option for the whole family is to return to the mortal world alone. Having had no interactions with anyone besides her mother and her servant, Xingyin feels confused, scared, sad, and reluctant. More importantly, no one knows how long Xingyin needs to stay in the mortal world. No one can say if she will be reunited with her family. However, knowing that this is the best and only option, Xingyin says a tearful goodbye to Chang’e and Ping’er and leaves the Moon. Everything above happens in the first chapter, which appears so continuous readers must pay close attention to catch every detail. However, I enjoy this fast pacing as it keeps me excited and eager to see what happens next.

Another aspect of the book that makes me really like it is that the author describes the growth of the main character, Xingyin, very well. When Xingyin first leaves the Moon Palace, she is a naïve and inexperienced teenager. At the Golden Lotus Mansion, she takes her first job as a house servant. There, the other servants always bullied her. However, she never gives in and always remembers that, if she continues to be herself, better days will come. Eventually, she is noticed by the Prince of the Celestial Kingdom, Liwei, who brings Xingyin into the Celestial Palace as his study companion (a much better position than her previous one). Furthermore, throughout the rest of the book, Xingyin experiences moments close to death, betrayal by the boy she loved, and ambivalence in her internal self. At the end of the book, she transforms into a mature, experienced warrior.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Each chapter propelled me forward. The author makes many references to the traditional Chinese myth of Chang’e and Houyi, which I was really surprised and appreciative to see. This gave me a strong sense of familiarity and connection to my origin, even in a text written in a completely different language/ Before reading this book, I had never experienced something like that. In the end, the book is still heavily focused on Chinese culture and dynastic China, so I would strongly recommend the book to those who enjoy Chinese history.