Sunlight Playing over a Mountain

Summary

A mythology-tinged debut novel about a Chinese-Filipino teenager whose world of daydreams is destroyed by a family secret. Perfect for fans of Emily X. R. Pan, Ann Liang, and lyrical coming-of-age tales.

Jasmine Cheng has grown up on stories spun by her beautiful, erratic mother. Together, they’re the Phoenix and Dragon. Jasmine’s father is the god Pangu, creator of the heavens and earth. Her mother may have boyfriends, but Jasmine chases them away. Because for her mother, love brings chaos, sleepless nights, and frightening episodes. It’s Jasmine’s job to keep their home life stable, especially now that a social worker has started to keep tabs on them.

When the sudden arrival of Cal, her mother’s old flame, fractures their delicate world, a series of events unfolds that will send Jasmine on a cross-country journey to the West Coast—and into her past. Trapped in a tangle of fantasy and reality, Jasmine becomes determined to shatter the illusion for good, even as her mother’s refusal to be honest drives a deeper wedge between them.

Will the crack in their fantasy destroy her, or finally let the light in?

Selina Li Bi’s magical debut perfectly portrays the pain of growing up in a less-than-magical world and introduces a remarkable new voice in young adult fiction.