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

4.0

Everything was absolutely mystical and enchanting and lovely, except for Rendi's relationship with his father and the suggestion that forgiveness will solve all their problems. Rendi's father's emotional abuse and neglect was not a one time occurrence but a prolonged habit, and nowhere in the story did he show any indication remorse or of wanting to be a better father. The suggestion that forgiveness is the panacea to their conflicts - especially the one between Rendi and his father - oversimplifies the nuanced situation. The story about the tiger who became a man is inspiring, but the implication that Rendi's return could magically cure Rendi's father of his cruelty not only displaces the responsibility of self-improvement from the self and onto others, it also diminishes the amount of effort that is necessary to change one's stripes.