It was such a pleasure to speak with Stacey Lee, UC Davis King Hall alum and author of the acclaimed young adult historical novel, “Under a Painted Sky”, for a Her Campus profile. I was ecstatic when her publisher sent me a copy of her upcoming follow-up novel, “Outrun the Moon,” for review!
I was a little nervous to review her book. What if I didn’t like it? I would have hated to give a bad review to a fellow Aggie, let alone someone I liked, admired, and owed the honor of a really great interview. I’m incredibly happy to report that I can give the book an unbiased, honest, and positive review. “Outrun the Moon” is an entertaining, vivid, and emotionally satisfying novel, hitting just the right notes of wit and drama. The historical setting is richly rendered and the teenaged heroine is an absolute delight.
“Outrun the Moon” is the story of Mercy Wong, a 15-year-old girl living in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1906. As the daughter of a man who owns a laundry business and a woman who tells fortunes, her life prospects aren’t too great. Her family is poor, anti-Chinese legislation and racism are in full swing, and Mercy’s “bossy cheeks” (according to Chinese face reading, a sign of a dominant personality—not an admired quality in a woman) make her an undesirable marriage partner. However, the indefatigable Mercy is determined to become a successful businesswoman and raise her family’s station. Armed with only her cunning and relentless—seriously, relentless—determination, she bribes her way into St. Clare’s School for Girls, an exclusive prep school for wealthy white heiresses. Disaster soon strikes, however, in the form of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
There’s a lot to like here. The book strikes a perfect balance by convincingly evoking the period setting while still retaining a relatable, youthful voice. The first half, in which Mercy pretends to be an heiress from China at St. Clare’s, is super fun, almost in the vein of classic high school comedies like She’s the Man or Easy A. However, it seamlessly gives way to the more high-stakes, emotionally-charged second half. The prose is lush and metaphor-rich, but also crackling with wit and sharp observations. It’s a complex narrative with a large and colorful cast of characters from both Chinatown and St. Clare’s, but the plot never gets unwieldy or bloated. Lee writes with a great amount of sympathy for even the minor and less admirable characters, which gives the book more resonance as well as a more fully fleshed out cast.
The real highlight of the book is the protagonist. Mercy Wong is ambitious, highly independent, compassionate, brave, quick-thinking, and a little crafty. Her inability to follow the rules often gets her into trouble, but her indomitable, go-getter personality absolutely lights up every page, and makes her a real heroine to root for. She’s also very funny, and just plain fun.
One final note: diversity in media representation has been an increasingly hot topic (Stacey Lee is a member of We Need Diverse Books, a campaign working to improve the dismal statistic that only 7.5% of children’s books feature diverse protagonists despite the actual youth population being nearly 40% diverse). As a Chinese-American girl myself, I wanted to add a personal comment on how refreshing and uplifting it was to see an Asian-American female protagonist in a book that isn’t exclusively about race. The book does a dead-on job dealing with racism and weaving Mercy’s heritage into the story (her mother is a fortune teller, and various Chinese sayings and superstitions are scattered throughout), but at the same time, Mercy’s story isn’t only about overcoming discrimination or balancing two worlds. There are many great stories about those issues, but it’s incredibly satisfying to see a Chinese protagonist in other kinds of stories too. Mercy gets to be a hero, just like any white male protagonist would. That’s pretty cool.
“Outrun the Moon” comes out May 24, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon. (You can also check out Stacey Lee’s previous book, Under a Painted Sky!) Even if you’re not into young adult or historical novels, I’d still highly recommend it. It’s a great read, and you’ll be supporting a fellow Aggie!