Sunlight Playing over a Mountain

Ages 14 And Up, Grades 9 And Up

A mythology-tinged debut novel about a Chinese-Filipino teenager whose world of daydreams is destroyed by a family secret. Perfect for fans of Emily X. R. Pan, Ann Liang, and lyrical coming-of-age tales.

Jasmine Cheng has grown up on stories spun by her beautiful, erratic mother. Together, they’re the Phoenix and Dragon. Jasmine’s father is the god Pangu, creator of the heavens and earth. Her mother may have boyfriends, but Jasmine chases them away. Because for her mother, love brings chaos, sleepless nights, and frightening episodes. It’s Jasmine’s job to keep their home life stable, especially now that a social worker has started to keep tabs on them.

When the sudden arrival of Cal, her mother’s old flame, fractures their delicate world, a series of events unfolds that will send Jasmine on a cross-country journey to the West Coast—and into her past. Trapped in a tangle of fantasy and reality, Jasmine becomes determined to shatter the illusion for good, even as her mother’s refusal to be honest drives a deeper wedge between them. 

Will the crack in their fantasy destroy her, or finally let the light in?

Selina Li Bi’s magical debut perfectly portrays the pain of growing up in a less-than-magical world and introduces a remarkable new voice in young adult fiction.

Story Locale:The Midwest and Oregon

About the Author

Selina Li Bi’s writing has appeared in Nonwhite and Woman: 131 Micro Essays on Being in the World, riksha: Asian American Creative Arts in Action, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Cricket, and Red Weather Literary Magazine. She is the author of a poetry chapbook, Displaced, and has written several books for the children’s educational market. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University Moorhead and is also a certified Creativity Coach. As she is a second generation Asian American, the dichotomy of cultures in which she grew up in has weaved its way into much of her work.

Author Residence: Fargo, North Dakota

Author Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania