In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother’s identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother’s abandoned greatness.
—Annotation from publisher
She Who Became the Sun is a sweeping historical epic with a capital E. It is grounded in the history of 14th‑century China; however, fantastic elements are poetically interwoven into the two main characters’ lives. Both Zhu Chongba and General Ouyang are haunted by ghosts: the ghosts of their pasts, the ephemeral specter of their desired fates, and by literal spirits. These hauntings – and other minute elements of magical realism – give the narrative a dreamlike, mythic quality that nevertheless possesses a vivid, visceral realness.
Zhu’s relentless ambition and Ouyang’s rage and grief creates a layer of tension beyond the fact that they head opposing armies. Both characters must confront what they are willing to sacrifice in order to get what they want. Each blurs the line between what is destiny and what is self‑determination.
In the midst of Zhu and Ouyang’s stories is Ma Xiuying, the daughter of a commander in the rebel army. Ma is also caught between society’s expectations for her and her own fragile hope regarding her destiny. Her perspective adds a quiet humanity that serves as contrast to the novel’s grand overtures of war and political machinations.
The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus, an Audie and Earphones award‑winning audiobook narrator. Her delivery has all the hallmarks of an experienced and enthralling storyteller; her narration brought an already lush and lively story further to life. Naudus’ pronunciation of unfamiliar‑to‑me names, words, and places helped immerse me in the story. It would be a good choice to read simultaneously in print and in audio, if one is so inclined.
Parker-Chan, Shelley. She Who Became the Sun. Macmillan Audio, 2021.
