A review by brucefarrar
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin

3.0

Angry at his father’s cruel indifference Rendi runs away as far as he can. He’s discovered hiding in wine merchant’s cart at the desolate and remote Village of Clear Sky where he’s put to work as a chore boy by the innkeeper Master Chao. At night Rendi can hardly sleep because of the cries and moans of the sky grieving for the loss of the moon, and during the day he’s continually frustrated by the Master Chao’s young daughter whom he hates on sight. It’s not until a mysterious and beautiful storyteller come to the Inn of Clear Sky that his anger and grief begin to abate.

Like her earlier book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Lin has based this on traditional Chinese folktales repurposed for her own story. Her illustrations are bright companions to this tale of forgiveness and reconciliation.