All Four Quarters of the Moon
For fans of When You Trap a Tiger and A Place to Belong comes a gentle, "touching" (Booklist, starred review) middle grade novel about love and resilience, interwoven with Chinese mythology, a Little World made completely of paper, and the ever-changing, but constant moon. The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, making mooncakes with Ah-Ma, was the last time Peijing Guo remembers her life being the same. She is haunted by the magical image of a whole egg yolk suspended in the middle like the full moon. Now adapting to their new life in Australia, Peijing thinks everything is going to turn out okay as long as they all have each other, but cracks are starting to appear in the family. Five-year-old Biju, lovable but annoying, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister. Ah-Ma keeps forgetting who she is; Ma Ma is no longer herself and Ba Ba must adjust to a new role as a hands-on dad. Peijing has no idea how she is supposed to cope with the uncertainties of her own world while shouldering the burden of everyone else. If her family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she even fit in?
Book Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publish Date: Jul 12nd, 2022
- Pages: 368
- Language: English
- Dimensions: 9.00in - 5.90in - 1.40in - 1.05lb
- EAN: 9781534488861
- Recommended age: 08-12
- Categories: • Diversity & Multicultural• Social Themes - New Experience• Family - Multigenerational
About the Author
Marr, Shirley: - Shirley Marr is the author of Little Jiang, Fury, Preloved, A Glasshouse of Stars, All Four Quarters of the Moon, and Countdown to Yesterday. Shirley lives in Perth, Australia, with her family. Learn more at ShirleyMarr.net.
Praise for this book
"Through tales both familiar and new, two sisters navigate growing up and an international relocation....Contrasting Peijing's anxiety as the eldest child bearing expectations of responsibility, 5-year-old Biju's exuberant, improvisational storytelling centers the sisters' interactions as their lives transform in a new and very different environment. While Peijing finds her voice and makes new friends and Biju shines in the school play, Ah Ma's declining health prompts them to capture memories in the moment. Biju's retold legends are a highlight, showcasing her irreverent humor and demonstrating a self-assured agency that reminds readers of the power of stories' evolution."--Kirkus Reviews
"Fans of sisterhood stories are in for a heartfelt treat with this gentle novel centered around family, resilience, and immigration...[t]aken from the author's own experiences, the touching characters and relationships in this story will linger with readers for a long time."--Booklist, starred review
Gentle, observational prose carries the novel's intentionally paced events, folk tale references, organic character growth, and a heartening message of embracing change and impermanence. --Publishers Weekly
Peijing's struggles highlight the nuances of immigration, as she finds her home life and diet to be a frequent source of tension in her new circumstances even as she yearns for the comfort of Chinese traditions and heritage. Interspersed between chapters are Biju's own retellings of myths and fables, offering the sisters a chance to consider elements of Chinese culture...[t]he book closes on a harmonious note, making this an honest, hopeful choice for anyone experiencing extreme cultural differences and needing some reassurance in their new world.--BCCB
A CBCA Notable Book for 2023