Thank you Scribner, #partner for the advanced copy of Daughters of the Sun and Moon in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Scribner
Published: June 9, 2026
Summary:
Beloved New York Times bestselling author Lisa See draws on the vibrancy and turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles to tell the story of three Chinese women who managed to survive and, eventually, thrive, despite all odds.
In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in the small, dusty and violent pueblo of Los Angeles. Dove, the bound-footed daughter of an imperial scholar, is entrancing and innocent. These characteristics should bring her great rewards, beginning with her arranged marriage to a much older merchant. Petal, the big-footed daughter of peasants, has grown up hungry and with dirt between her toes. In a moment of desperation, Petal’s father sells her to buy money for rice seed, and she is loaded onto a ship to the Gold Mountain – America – where she is once again sold. Moon is married to a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine. She is educated, speaks fluent English and has been endowed with a face of great beauty, yet her failed footbinding as a child has left her with a limp that lessens her value in the eyes of many.
Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined.
Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance and ability to ‘eat bitterness,’ discover their voices, find freedom and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.
My thoughts:
I have long been a fan of Lisa See’s books, ever since reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I’ve read almost all her books and always find myself completely immersed in her stories.
I love how this author brings forgotten/unknown history. Her characters are always so richly drawn and often stay with me long after I finish the book. The three women we meet in this book – Dove, Petal, and Moon – could not have been more different from each other, and yet they each won my heart just the same. Having the story alternate between their POVs – with Dove and Petal’s in the present (1870s) and Moon’s chapters being set later on in 1926 and of her remembering, was a very effective way to pull you into the story. And I found each chapter to be very distinctive in voice.
I had not known about the “Night of Horrors” prior to reading this. Yes, it’s a tough read at times, and the author does not shy away from the brutality of not only of that night but how Chinese women in general were treated at this time. But she does so with grace…she doesn’t sensationalize it. She wants us to witness what happened. This is why I keep coming back to her books…because of her level of compassion and respect & the way she tells a story.
I loved this story and will be recommending it to all who love historical fiction, as long as they don’t mind a heavy read!
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