An Arrow to the Moon

Gr 8 Up–Chinese folklore, star-crossed lovers, identity, and filial piety come together in Pan’s latest novel. Luna Chang comes from an affluent family; Hunter Yee from a struggling one. Their families are constantly at odds, and their realities couldn’t be more different in their small Asian American community in a largely white town. Luna is on an upright trajectory to Stanford. She’s a free spirit, but a goody-two-shoes. Fireflies keep following her, even in the dead of winter. Hunter is the troubled eldest Yee boy, always disappointing his parents, and the latest insult is losing his private school scholarship. He has a special connection with the wind, and an impossibly accurate aim with his bow and arrow. Luna and Hunter don’t like each other, can’t stand one another even, until it all changes. However, Hunter’s family is hiding, afraid of a threat, a man who has been looking for them. Can a hexagonal-shaped rock contain the answers to their problems? Seamlessly weaving Chinese lore, elements of fabulism, and family dynamics, this story takes readers on an enchanted tale of love, loss, expectations, and identity, including a compelling exploration of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage.