This book review was written by Ashna Uprety of Richard Montgomery High School
“Outrun the Moon” by Stacey Lee is a life-changing young adult novel about ambition and overcoming the odds. The story is set in San Francisco in 1906, but is undeniably a timeless tale that everyone should read. Mercy Wong, the Chinese main character, wants more than what the poverty of Chinatown can give her. However, being a person of color and a woman in the early 1900s certainly doesn’t ensure an easy path to success.
“It is like the moon. We can see it differently by climbing a mountain, but we cannot outrun it. As it should be.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
Mercy has her mind set on leaving Chinatown and attending St. Clare’s School for Girls to gain an education. She strives to create a better future, not just for her, but for her younger brother Jack. Her brother deserves more than to be destined to take over the family laundry business and to be subject to long, grueling hours as her father is. Her parents disapprove of her dreams, but that hardly influences her.
“I scold the worries away. As Ma likes to say, you cannot control the wind, but you can control your sails.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
Getting into an all-white school might seem near impossible, but to Mercy it’s her only hope. Armed with her wits and a little bribery, she manages to convince the school board president to allow her to attend. Leaving her family behind, she takes on the identity of a Chinese heiress and goes to the school with her head held high.
“‘Bossy cheeks,” she mutters after me. [...] Cheeks are a measure of one’s authority, and ym high cheekbones indicate an assertive, ambitious nature. They were a gift from my mother, and I am proud of them even though men shy away from women with that attribute.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
Mercy constantly challenges racial stereotypes in the novel. She had a dream to open a herbal tea business and introduce Chinese herbs to the American market. In the early 1900s, racial prejudice was much more present in America than it is today. Chinese people lived together in certain areas, like Chinatown in the novel, which were often impoverished and underfunded. Nonetheless, Mercy stayed determined, even living in a society that made it difficult for minorities to succeed. Furthermore, gender roles and stereotypes are challenged in this book. Her parents expected Mercy to be content in finding a husband and staying home for the rest of her life. The curriculum at St. Clare’s perpetuated the idea that women should aspire to find husbands as well as be ladylike and meek. Mercy certainly had no desire in finding a husband and wanted to make a name for herself.
“Even if I did climb to the top of that mountain one day, people will never stop seeing my color first, before me.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
As Mercy begins to attend the school, she is met with some resistance from her fellow peers, and is also met with some curiosity. She makes a few friends, but it seems as if some of the girls there would just never accept her. Regardless, Mercy iswasn’t discouraged by the disdain of her peers and continues with her Chinese heiress ruse.
Unfortunately, tragedy strikes and a historic earthquake devastates San Francisco. St. Clare’s as well as Chinatown are in shambles and it seems like Mery’s life is turned upside down. Mercy and her friends make a temporary park encampment and are told to wait until the army comes to assist them. Despite that, Mercy is not one to sit still and lie in wait. A rubble filled city is not a place of Mercy’s expertise, but Mercy refused to sit idly by.
“Don't you get too greedy, Death. You already have taken more than your fair share today. You can't have me yet.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
One of the things the author did quite well was developing Mercy’s personality. She was a headstrong, fearless girl with high hopes yet realistic means of attaining them. In many YA books, the plot is fueled by odds the main character cannot control. But, in most of the book, with exception of the earthquake that occurs near the end, Mercy had control of her fate. She is calculating and cunning, always thinking ahead. The plot wasn’t driven by strange circumstances she had to put up with, but rather driven by Mery’s decisions.
“We have the same dirt under our shoes as they do.” Stacey Lee, Outrun the Moon
“Outrun the Moon” by Stacey Lee will take readers on a rollercoaster of emotions and is overall beautifully written. I do not take a particular liking to historical fiction, but I could not put down this book. This novel is proof that if one works hard enough, even in a society meant to bring them down, they will succeed.
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