Sunlight Playing Over a Mountain

An enchanting debut about a Chinese-Filipino teenager who lives in a world of daydreams with her eccentric mother, until that world is threatened by family secrets—perfect for fans of Emily X. R. Pan and Ann Liang

Jasmine Cheng is a dreamer, growing up in a world of tales spun by her beautiful, erratic mother. Together they’re the Phoenix and Dragon, Darkness and Light. Jasmine’s father is Pangu, god of chaos, who watches over them from the heavens above. Her mother may have boyfriends, but they never last, aided by Jasmine’s efforts to chase them away and keep her family intact—until Cal, her mother’s ex-boyfriend, bursts into their lives again. At the same time, the social worker who has been keeping tabs on Jasmine heats up the inquiry into her home life. 

Cal’s arrival and the possibility of being separated from her mother makes Jasmine question things anew—about her mother’s life in the Philippines and her own unstable childhood. Trapped in a tangle of fantasy and reality, Jasmine knows her illusion can only sustain her for so long, as her mother’s refusal to discuss her real father begins to drive a wedge between them. 

When family secrets unfold to reveal a startling truth, Jasmine’s unstable home life fractures. Will the crack in their fantasy destroy her, or finally let the light in?

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