| Title | : | Morning Sun in Wuhan |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0358572053 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780358572053 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 |
| Publication | : | First published November 8, 2022 |
Morning Sun in Wuhan Reviews
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Strange to think that in a few more years, this book will probably be used to teach children about the COVID-19 pandemic, because they were too young to remember it.
Compelling middle-grade story about what life was like in Wuhan, China, in the first months after the corona virus made its deadly appearance. -
You know why I don't mind pandemic books?
Sure, they capture the fear, panic and uncertainty during the early days of the virus outbreak. The loss and grief. The bad behaviour and poor response. And yes, sometimes it hits too close to home. Real life is depressing enough, do we really want it to seep into the books we read?
But with the bad, let's not also forget the good. Communities rallying together. Medical professionals fighting on the frontline. Everyday heroes. Moments of hope and kindness. Strength and resilience. Courage. Love.
This novel portrayed all of these perfectly. I loved the spunky protagonist, so brave and selfless despite her young age. I loved the ground zero setting of Wuhan, as it shed light on what the situation was like over there during such a dark time. I loved the representation Chinese culture, food and Mei's recipes (which I hope to try out).
Totally a book that I would recommend to all ages! -
Morning Sun in Wuhan is a fascinating, insightful middle grade account depicting the genesis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. Featuring a female protagonist who loves video games and cooking, this is a great pick for those looking for books with strong female protagonists. It’s also one of those unique middle grade books actually set in Asia. I recommend listening to it on audio (which I did) because it might be a slower start if you read the actual book. Overall, a nice debut with an under-explored topic/setting.
Full review:
https://readingmiddlegrade.com/mornin... -
A well written account, through a teen’s eyes, on the evolution of the pandemic in Wuhan, China. This is a perfect way for children and young teens to learn about the spread of COVID and how communities dealt with it. I loved learning more about Mai’s experiences and how she helped her neighbors get through the pandemic. Bonus points for the recipes in the back; the descriptions of food had my mouth watering (which was a little odd in a book about an infectious disease but it is what it is).
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review. -
Not out until 5.10.22, but absolutely a book to preorder.
☀️
@yingchangcompestine's early middle grades MORNING SUN IN WUHAN is a poignant story of Mai's experiences during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in its epicenter. Both a love letter to her birth city & a reminder of the heart of community care, it strikes a chord of hope & resilience in the face of an unknown virus. We get to know Mai through her interactions + cooking, food filled with memories & love, with easy to follow recipes included for dishes cooked during the story.
🥟
Books about the pandemic, while still living through it, are going to be tricky, but books help young people understand the world around them and their own experiences, and this one balances that line well. We're going to need books to help kids process what they've been through, & Mai's experiences will help do that in a way that provides reality in an age appropriate way + the hope that comes from community. And it does so from Wuhan, China, giving children a chance to see the positive aspects of that culture and community to push back against some of negative statements that were made about China & help #StopAsianHate. -
I couldn’t put it down. I immediately felt connected to Mei and chugged along through this experience with her. I love the delicate dance between light and dark throughout the story, it’s simply a ‘must read’.
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Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Why are you reading about the pandemic, Caitlin??? It's not even over yet!"
Listen.
I liked stories about pandemics and plagues before the coronavirus came about, and when quarantine started, I found the new level of immersion to be a comfort more than anything. Not everyone in those stories dies, and people band together (in most) to stay alive and safe. Also, if I'm going to be honest, the idea of an enemy you can't see and threats that you have to take for granted is a fascinating thing to contemplate.
We've gotten a lot of books in the publishing queue recently that involve well-to-do white people being holed up in their houses/apartments or on island getaways, but that's so boring, you'll need earplugs for the snores about to come your way. (Oh, how original, someone with money gets to be safe and sound while others fight for their lives and actually have to go out and work and shop because they live in rural areas or are lower class, UGH HOW PLEBEIAN. Ew, gross, compassion for the masses!)
So! In MORNING SUN IN WUHAN we get a glimpse of what it was like in the center of the Wuhan quarantine. Considering the virus is supposed to have originated in this city, and that it was the hotspot the rest of us watched with growing concern as the new mystery virus spread, it's nice to get a ground-zero perspective. And I'd be 100% skeptical if the author wasn't 1) Chinese, 2) from Wuhan, and 3) in constant contact with people who were there, are there, and helped to fight on the frontlines at the start of all this.
We start in mid January 2020 here. Our main character Mei, who is an aspiring chef, lost her mother to a car accident in the past year. Her father is a doctor, like her mother was, and is working like crazy at the hospital in Wuhan's hospital compound. There's hints of a new sickness, and no one knows for sure yet what it is, what it does, or how it spreads. Mei finds comfort in her group of online gaming friends, and even eventually friendship with the girl upstairs who she thought had a perfect life.
The community bands together to provide food and supplies for each other, and the group of kids who band together to cook in the emergency kitchen and deliver food is based off a real team in Wuhan that stepped up at the start of the craziness. There are some really great lessons to be had in here for middle grade readers, lessons that aren't in-your-face and preachy. They swoop in organically through Mei's dialogue with other people and her own internal musings.
But mostly? Oh, baby. There are recipes. Ying Compestine included a bunch of Wuhanese home-cooking to be copied and made at our own kitchens, and I AM HERE FOR IT. I don't know if I've ever said this on Goodreads, but cooking and baking are two of the biggest ways I unwind when I get anxious. My husband has come downstairs to use the toilet at midnight before and found me making my second batch of cinnamon rolls. Asian cuisine is my favorite to try my hand at, and that's anything all the way from the Philippines to Turkey. The spices and depth of flavor and warmth are incomparable and will never not satisfy me.
To include recipes when your main character is a future chef and the plot revolves around food? Absolutely genius. I was thinking of preordering this anyway, but the recipes sealed the deal. Add in a dash of hope and a few generous pinches of compassion and you've got yourself a fantastic book. -
I really liked all the descriptions of food and cooking, but by the end, I wished there'd been a little less of that and a little more substance about the pandemic. It is crazy to think about how bad things must have been in Wuhan at the very beginning of the pandemic, when almost nothing was known about Covid; even the grocery stores were shut down; and China somehow built a bunch of hospitals within a week, it seemed. Think of the need for that much hospital space! It's staggering.
I do plan to try making some of the recipes included in the book soon - they sound delicious. -
This is a quick, poignant read about what it was like for the people living in Wuhan at the start of the virus. It was written by Ying Compestine, who grew up in Wuhan and interviewed friends and family who still live there to get accurate accounts of what happened as COVID-19 was unfolding. The story follows 13-year-old Mei (whose father is a respiratory doctor battling COVID-19 on the frontlines) as she navigates dealing with food shortages, neighborhood lockdowns, and fears about the people around her getting sick. She feels alone at the start of the novel, but as the story progresses, she finds companionship and help from many of her neighbors, online friends, and family.
Overall I enjoyed the story, and thought it gave great insight into how scary it must have been to live in the town where the outbreak started. There are also recipes at the end of every chapter, since Mei loves to cook, and I found that really neat. I did think the book ended a bit abruptly, but understand that the author wanted to tell a specific part of the story (the very beginning of COVID-19 in Wuhan) and that's why she ended it how she did. I would definitely recommend this to older elementary school students and early middle school students, as I think it would resonate most with them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the ARC for review. -
2.5/5
This was a cute middle-grade story about a girl in Wuhan, China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With her dad as a front line worker and the city under lockdown, she does what she can to help her friends and neighbours through her love for cooking.
Although this might be a good book for children of future generations to read and learn about the coronavirus pandemic, I felt like the pacing of the timeline of events was a bit off. The details of the pandemic were a bit lacking, and the emotions, confusion, worry, fear and panic that a lot of people experienced was also missing from this book. There was just too much focus on Mei's video game and cooking obsession and not enough emphasis on the human aspect of helping each other out during lockdown. It seemed to me that this story glossed over the serious and important details of the pandemic.
If you liked the following books, then you'll probably also enjoy
Morning Sun in Wuhan, and vice-versa:
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A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.
2.5/5 - Liked it.
This story is fascinating in that it allows the reader to access a voice not often heard in Western literature - that of a young girl living in Wuhan at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mei's story is touching and interesting, and it deals with complex topics such as the loss of a parent, grief, and the importance of standing up to our fears in order to best support our communities. The story is peppered with Chinese recipes that I'm very excited to try out.
The reason I did not rate this book higher is because I had a hard time connecting to Mei and understanding who she was outside of her community role in the pandemic. She is passionate about cooking and video games, but it was difficult for me to grasp who she was beyond this. I would have appreciated more flashbacks to time spent with her mother - for example, if they had shared a love of cooking.
That being said, I think this is an important and interesting story. I hope to see more books for adults and children alike coming out of Wuhan or other areas deeply impacted by COVID to better understand how this pandemic influenced our lives globally. -
It's so weird to think that one day, books that transpire during a global pandemic will be historical fiction. Like kids will be looking to books to understand events. (Kind of how they do with 9/11)
Wow, I'm old.
At first I thought it was too soon to do a book about Covid19, especially one set in Wuhan. Literally the Ground Zero of the pandemic. But then, I thought why not? It's so easy to vilify China (and indeed we do) for the last two plus years when really, so many innocent lives were affected. We weren't put in boarded up buildings if there was an outbreak.
I appreciated the humanity of Mei; I really like her as a character. And I love how food was how she thought to help and bring healing. The recipes contained in these pages are ones I certainly want to try. I loved the highlighting of those that helped the frontline workers stay alive <3 <3 Honestly, we could not have made it through without them.
Only thing--the epilogue did not need to be there. Like at all. It made the book lose its authenticity. Almost felt too rosy of a story. -
This book's combination of recent tragedy and recipes was surprising, but something I think middle grade readers will really appreciate. I have a lot of students that age asking for cooking books, and cooking is something that brings Mei peace during this time. A lot of readers will worry for Mei, relate to her video game interest, and be interested to see what it was like to be a kid in Wuhan when people started getting sick from COVID. While there are certainly parts that are sad or worrisome, I think readers will also find comfort in the fact that there were people helping and finding ways to get involved from the beginning of the pandemic. I really appreciated how the author handled the topics and think it will be a very empathetic read for kids.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for a fair review!
Morning Sun in Wuhan was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed Ying Compestine's writing style and kid-friendly recipes that would excite any young reader to ask their parents to take them on a trip to locate ingredients. I appreciate the community aspect that Ying draws out from the early days of COVID-19, and the cast of varied characters that give the pandemic a multifaceted entry point for kids. The kid in me identified with the main character, Mei, and particularly enjoyed her finding a way to help out despite only being 13 years old. I'm sure many children will be inspired by her acts and want to make a change in their own communities. I'm hoping to read this book to my 4th grade students this upcoming year and will definitely be purchasing it for my classroom library. -
“Morning Sun in Wuhan” by Ying Chang Compestine tells the story of Mei, a thirteen year old girl, who is adjusting to life without her mother who was tragically killed while crossing a busy street in Wuhan where she worked as a doctor. I located this book using the Freeman Award list. This book received an honorable mention award in 2022. I listened to the audiobook version available on Audible and narrated by Nancy Wu.
The story begins in January of 2020, and through the eyes of a young girl grieving for her mother, she paints a picture of Wuhan as a vibrant, bustling city full of happy people and delicious restaurants. They think of themselves as lucky to live in such a place. Suddenly, everything begins to change as a new virus begins spreading like wildfire. At first, the residents believe what the government has reassured them- that this virus does not spread from human to human. Eventually, however, the evidence becomes clear that the virus is spreading out of control and panic ensues. One of the first characters to warn Mei of the coming storm is her father who is a well respected doctor working in the respiratory unit in the middle of the outbreak. As he begins to work countless hours, Mei barely sees him and needs to adjust to her life without her mother or her father. A budding chef, Mei finds solace in cooking for others. Each chapter ends with a recipe and explicit instructions on how to make it.
This chapter book would be a good fit for a middle school classroom. Students would gain insight into an important window of time that shaped much of their experience growing up. They would also see a different side of Wuhan, a city infamous for being the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in late 2019. They would learn about the delectable food, the popular music, and how the residents of the city came together to support each other even during times of great fear and uncertainty. The book could be used to have many great classroom discussions about the events leading up to the pandemic, the treatment of Chinese people especially from Wuhan during the outbreak, and resilience during difficult times.
I enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it to friends, family and students. I enjoyed the audio version of the book, however I might recommend it in paperback form if the reader is interested in cooking. The descriptions of various dishes and instructions regarding how to cook them may be more user friendly when read visually. -
I won this book via Goodreads' FirstReads. It's the story of a young girl coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan at the beginning of the outbreak. It shows how people in Wuhan were scared and helped each other while everything around them changed very quickly. It also includes recipes for the food the main character loves to make.
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Knowing Aunty, she will inspect the whole apartment when she returns. I run around like a yo-yo, making my bed, organizing the books on my desk, folding the blanket on the sofa in front of the TV, and mopping the kitchen floor. When I glance at the clock, I notice that almost two hours have passed. I will have to warm up the curry when Aunty gets here.
[ringtone]
“Hello, Aunty! Food is ready for you.”
“Mei!” Aunty shouts through the phone. “I am outside the complex, but they won’t let me in.”
“Why? Who won’t?” We don’t have guards like at Ming’s fancy apartment.
“I am sorry—it’s a new order from the city!” a man says in the background. “You can’t come in unless you live here.”
“Mei, stay home. Don’t go anywhere!” Aunty sounds frantic. “They set barricades outside your apartment complex. I will find a way to get to you.”
(Ying Chang Compestine, Morning Sun in Wuhan, p.-- [ebook])
There are recipes throughout the book and frankly, they look delicious. This is a library copy but I photocopied a few to try when my work schedule allows it. It’s all classic recipes like pan-fried dumplings, kung pao beef and shrimp in lettuce cups.
The story was pretty interesting and I enjoyed getting a look at the pandemic from inside ground zero. I loved reading Mei describe the team in white hazmat suits disinfecting her building with portable tanks and cylinder sprayers. I’m in a small city and we didn’t get anything like the response (or infection rate) larger cities got, so maybe these were a common thing to see in places like Toronto and Halifax. But I remember seeing a photo collection at some point of the pandemic illustrating what the world was going through: abandoned airports, wild animals casually walking down city streets, a little girl taking Zoom ballet lessons in a messy kitchen, and one that really interested me of a team of white hazmat suited people coating streets with portable sprayers. I thought that was the coolest thing I’d ever seen, so I was delighted to see them here.
I really didn't care for the structure of the ending, though. Mei finally learns why her aunt and father are distant, and the field hospitals have opened to lessen the pressure on medical staff, so the chapter jumps years ahead to an epilogue post-quarantine of the characters watching . But at the same time, neither of those issues had a big enough part in Mei's story to warrant being a climax. The story is about cooking and Mei finding her feet as a chef and proving her skills. I actually feel ridiculous hiding the ending under a spoiler warning because it has nothing to do with the story and doesn't spoil anything, but it's the ending, so...
The field hospitals opening means her father won't be so overworked at the hospital and might get to come home for a break, so I was expecting the ending to focus more on a homecoming, with Mei and the aunt there to welcome him with a feast (bringing together the conclusion of the mending relationship, and bringing back around the emphasis the book had been placing on foods connection with healing and family). The epilogue would have still worked fine after a smoother wrap-up. With a reconciliation/homecoming chapter before the scene where the emotional labor had already been done off-page, it might not read as abrupt as it did.
CHARACTERS:
The characters were very sweet, but I didn’t get enough about Mei’s online friends who show up for her volunteer force to feel any way about them.
SETTING/WORLD BUILDING:
The setting was wonderfully painted. The author is from Wuhan (and was on her way home to her parents during the timeline of this book, where she was shocked to be barred entry to the country since the lock downs were declared so suddenly).
PLOT/SOLUTION:
The ending felt flat to me, like it was gearing up and up and up, then we blinked and she was suddenly at the bottom of the cliff peacefully having a picnic. I felt like I’d missed something important.
OTHER ASPECTS:
+
The cover art by Crystal Kung is beautiful.
THE VERDICT?
This was a fine read, but I loved the recipes most of all. -
Charming, beautiful, and sweet. I felt like this book did such a great job presenting what those first few months felt like… even though I was across the globe and experiencing them at a different time. I’m so excited to try out all the recipes and be thankful for where we are now.
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I tore through this one. I love how Mei’s complex situation inspires action and kindness. This book also addresses the pandemic,where it began, and shares the dilemmas and difficulties that people were experiencing. I can see this as a book club book. Grades 4 and up.
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This is a great little middle grade novel set in Wuhan, China in the early days of the covid 19 outbreak. Mei is a caring girl who loves to cook and uses this skill to connect with friends, family and her community.
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Yields a better understanding of how different governments responded to Covid.
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I like the hyper focus of this on one neighborhood and apt building in Wuhan. Great side-materials of recipes, glossary, and cooking terms.
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Mei lives with her father, the director of the respiratory care center in Wuhan, China. She has been grieving her mother since she died a year earlier, her nearest companions are a neighbor who checks on her from time to time, playing an online computer game and cooking. Her father has been pretty busy with his work, which makes Mei's aunt very angry with him. The story begins just as Covid hits the town of Wuhan and follows Mei as she navigates life in her city after the virus emerges. It takes place across a year's time span (From January 2020 to February 2021) and then jumps ahead a year to February 2021 with the celebration of the Chinese New Year.
There are moments in time when events happen that are so clear, vivid recollections of where you were and what was happening around you. Often, we hope for the happy memories, but too often it's the sadder moments that come to mind. I think most people will forever recall the early onset of Covid and what the country was living through at the time. Morning Sun in Wuhan is the authors way of reflecting on events that occurred at the onset of the pandemic in Wuhan, taken from conversations with friends, family and photos and videos made in the city, which were then pieced together to the tell the story of a young girl who provides comfort for her neighbors by preparing meals in a volunteer cooking shelter (which was an actual news story that the author also drew inspiration from). It's a story of community and a testament to all the front-line workers who worked tirelessly to help feed, heal and provide aid during moments of distress. Included within the chapters are recipes for the meals that Mei prepares and an author's note explaining her reasons for writing the book. Overall, this is a very interesting story that accurately depicts the events as they unfolded at the epicenter for Covid and brings the perspective of the individuals present when the virus broke. Hopefully the story will help combat some of the negative perceptions that were being made about Wuhan at the time and will also help develop empathy for what the city and its people had to endure. Written by an author originally from Wuhan this is an especially valuable first-hand account. **A huge thank you to Spark Press for the E-ARC via NetGalley** -
This quick read told a couple of good stories. I really loved the addition of the recipes cooked in the story. I can't wait to try some of them out.
Unfortunately, I think that book suffers a bit from its mode of telling. The writing style seems geared a bit to a younger audience than the story is. I think my 10 year old would enjoy this story, but he would never pick it up. If it were a graphic novel he might read it and I think the book would really benefit from that format. As it is, the book is shorter than the novels he would normally read.
I mentioned that there are a couple of good stories being told. Given the reading level of the writing, I think the book could have easily been divided into two separate picture books for a younger audience. One story about a kid separated from her parents, in isolation, who's only real connection to the outside world is through the videogame she plays. Another story about a kid who loves to cook and finds an opportunity to use her skills to help others during lockdown. As it was, this book is sort of both too long and too short.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC -
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am so glad that Compestine wrote this book. I thought it would give some insight into what was being experienced in Wuhan while most of the rest of the world was still tuned out and oblivious and it did. It was also enjoyable to read and engaging. There are strong themes of kindness, generosity, and community in this story. I really wanted it to be a five star read, so badly. For me it was pretty great, but lacked something to make it extraordinary. -
Very compelling look at the epicenter of the Covid-19 virus, Wuhan, China, and how it may’ve felt to see people falling sick and other people panicking all around you. 12-year-old Mei loves to cook. She learns a lot from a local chef with whom she volunteers to cook meals for overworked and exhausted medical workers. Her own father heads up the respiratory department.
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E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In January of 2020, Mei Wong is trying to navigate her life in Wuhan, China, after the recent death of her mother in a traffic accident. Both of her parents were busy doctors, so she also relies on her Aunt, who is the director of Yangtze Middle School, which Mei attends.Mei loves to cook, and plays a video game called Chop Chop, wherein the players have to practice their cooking skills in order to feed soldiers that are protecting society from zombie hordes. She plays this online with friends Ming and Hong. She shared a love of food with her late mother, and the two often went to a restaurant where Chef Ma worked, since her mother had saved his daughter when she was ill. When the news starts to buzz that there is a bad virus circulating, Mei's father gives her a mask and tells her to stay inside as much as possible. He stocks the kitchen with food, but doesn't come home for days. The neighbors in the building have a WeChat group that Mrs. Fong has put together, and are all taking care of each other. Food is a problem, especially after authorities put everyone in lockdown, and only those with volunteer passes can do shopping. Food is sent up in baskets, and the elderly and the very young who have ill adults are struggling with getting meals. Even upstairs neighbor, Juan, who is about Mei's age, subsists on shrimp crackers until she asks for Mei's help. Mei begs her aunt to be able to help out Chef Ma, whose restaurant has been closed but who is now working in the middle school kitche to provide food for hospitcal workers. Both she and Mei's father are reluctant at first, but eventually allow her to help cook. She's not used to the scale or speed of a professional kitchen, but learns a lot, and even helps to coordinate meals in her neighborhood. She still longs for her mother, but is glad that she is able to get out of the apartment and use her skills to help others. When Mei's father collapses at work, there is a fear that he is ill with COVID-19. How will this change Mei's life?
Strengths: In addition to the fantastic middle grade titles Revolution is Not a Dinner Party (2007) and Secrets of the Terra-Cotta Soldier (2014), Compestine has also written a number of cookbooks and food themed picture books. It's not a surprise that there is so much food in this book, and the recipes look so enticing that I was half tempted to try some myself! There have been a few middle grade pandemic titles published, but it was absolutely fascinating to see a perspective from another country, and since Wuhan is Compestine's hometown, the details were great. The inclusion of video game details will make this appeal to readers who are interested in those, although I suspect this is not a real game.
Weaknesses: Mei's mother's death seemed a bit forced, but I understand the need to get the mother out of the picture so that Mei had to take care of herself a bit more. It did seem odd that Mei wasn't shown attending school virtually, but again, the story took a different direction. The book ended rather abruptly, but perhaps the E ARC cut off some of it.
What I really think: This was quite interesting, and will be a great historical document for students who, in a few short years, will not remember much about 2020. The cover is very appealing, and the appearance of a mask on Mei will be evocative for readers today. I would love to see some realistic fiction titles from this author about ordinary children and their daily life in China; books like Baitie's Crossing the Stream or Danticat's Behind the Mountains have proven to be popular in my library, since they offer a window into a life unlike the one that my students are living. -
(On the blog:
https://reviews.rebeccareid.com/morni...)
I did always wonder what the COVID-19 pandemic would have been like from the very beginning, even when no one yet knew what it was in Wuhan, China. I only have my experience, watching the progression of the disease through the world before our own world shut down. Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine (Clarion Books, 2022), which is written by a native of Wuhan, is a middle-grade novel that shares such a perspective, that of a young girl swept up in the midst of her world’s shut-down.
Mei is a young middle schooler who loves to cook. In the past year since her mother died in an accident, she’s been struggling to find a place, and feeling alone except for the times she is cooking and when she is chatting and playing with her friends on her video gaming server. As the book begins, her father, a respiratory doctor in the local hospital, is even more busy than normal, and she rarely sees him. She focuses on cooking to pass her time. Throughout the book, chapters end with the recipes of the food she cooks, a nice touch that emphasizes the unique culture of Wuhan but also regularizes the daily routines in Mei’s own life.
We know that Mei’s father, at the hospital, is helping with the beginning stages of a major outbreak of the new virus, but Mei just wants to see him more frequently. Throughout the course of just a few days at the end of January 2020, Mei is quickly thrust into a government-imposed lockdown: school is canceled, stores and restaurants are ordered closed, and now her father is unable to get home at all. Not only that, but despite her father’s warnings, Mei is confused, because she is surrounded by people who think this is all an overreaction.
Does this sound familiar? It may, but Mei’s situation is a bit different than ours was in March 2020. Not only does the local government refuse to let people out of the city, but those who have tried to flee are unable to enter any other city or return to Wuhan. Further, no one is allowed to leave the apartment complexes at all, due to the government-appointed armed guards at the gates. When a person in Mei’s apartment building begins coughing, the guards barricade the door so no one can go in and out of the apartment. Ambulance sirens become a common sound. Now, a community leader takes the orders for the entire apartment’s groceries and distributes them to families, despite the fact that only a few basic foods are available each week.
A hopeful and confident tone continues throughout the book, even though Mei’s story sounds scary. In fact, her situation seems even more concerning than it was in the U.S.A. The Chinese government tells everyone that the disease is under control, but it is clear to Mei and the others that the situation is becoming more difficult, due to the increasing restrictions. Because this is just the beginning of the pandemic, there is very little understanding of the virus’s danger, and very few supplies for those quarantined. No one knows how to help the sick, and without masks, people use fruit peels and underpants as masks.
Throughout her story, Mei’s cooking helps her deal with her circumstance, and her fear is dissipated with the nutritious food she shares with her neighbors. Throughout the changing situation, Mei finally comes into her own: she finds her place. As she joins in as an energetic community helper, she and her gaming friends (who live elsewhere in the city) join a food delivery organization and Mei is able to use her cooking skills to provide food for her father at the hospital, for the elderly unable to cook, and even for her own neighbors, including a young girl likewise alone since her mother and father fled town to pick up her brother and are now unable to return.
The book ends after just a few weeks of this pandemic chaos, now that Mei has found a place and the virus is a little more understood. A hopeful epilogue shows the reopened city a year later, and the main characters reunited and at peace. The titular reference to “Morning Sun” refers to the comforting song her mother used to sing to Mei, a song that emphasizes the beauty of the world around her in the Wuhan region. Much as our quarantine at times felt like a community effort to support each other, the people of Wuhan likewise gathered together. Despite the restrictions and her desire to live a normal life as a kid, Mei was forced to face the realities of a difficult life. She came out stronger in the end. Her story provides a unique yet powerful example of such resilience.
I received a digital copy of the book for review consideration.
