Beginning in 1340s China, She Who Became the Sun opens with a 10 year old girl, never named, living in utter poverty in a small village. She has already lost her mother and several siblings to starvation. The girl, her father and an older brother named Zhu are the only survivors. Zhu was meant to be sent to a monastery when he was old enough, and a fortune teller predicted greatness for him, but for the little girl he predicted, literally, nothing. Yet the girl and fate have other plans, and when Zhu and the father die, the girl takes Zhu’s name and disguises herself as a boy. After traveling to the monastery and waiting for days outside its gates in the elements, the abbot — impressed with Zhu’s tenacity — takes her (not knowing this is a girl) in as a novice. Thus begins the story of Zhu, determined to find the greatness meant for her brother and hide her true identity from the Heavens.
While at the monastery, Zhu becomes friends with an older novice named Xu Da. He knows Zhu is a girl but keeps her secret and becomes a lifelong friend. Xu Da and the abbot recognize something special in Zhu — a determination, intelligence and fearlessness that earn their respect. Zhu is determined to prove the fortune teller wrong, to not be nothing as women and girls are forced to be. Yet, Zhu also feels some trepidation; she believes her will to be Zhu, to live life as a man and achieve greatness, has somehow fooled Heaven. Will she be able to keep that up? Moreover, Zhu has the ability to see ghosts even though apparently no one else around her does.
The political environment in 1350s China is volatile. The Yuan Dynasty (Mongols) is starting to crack; gangs of bandits roam the countryside pillaging villages already impoverished by environmental disasters and taxes. A rebel army known as the Red Turbans is gaining strength against the Mongols, and a child called the Prince of Radiance, thought to be the reincarnation of the Buddha, has appeared in their midst. However, there is political division within the opposition to the Yuan Dynasty, with various factions jockeying for influence vis-a-vis the prime minister who claims the Prince of Radiance as his own. The monastery is not immune to the political upheaval, and when the Yuan emperor sends his son and one of his most powerful generals, Ouyang, to the monastery to ensure their support, Zhu sees something extraordinary. General Ouyang is surrounded by ghosts; he is also shunned by the abbot and not allowed in the temple because, we learn, he is a eunuch.
The stories of Zhu and Ouyang are intertwined; both feel drawn by fate to certain outcomes. Zhu is certain she is bound for greatness while Ouyang’s destiny is revenge. Ouyang is a fascinating character; his family history, his ghosts and his desire for revenge put him inexorably in Zhu’s path. Zhu, ostensibly a monk, is forced by circumstances to flee the monastery and winds up leading armies for the Red Turbans. But she must also learn whom to support and how to keep her secrets and herself alive in a court that seems determined to tear itself apart before it confronts the Mongols. Zhu also finds herself drawn to a young woman named Ma who has seen the worst the court has to offer and yet still maintains a sense of empathy and humanity. Meanwhile Ouyang, ever the outsider and butt of jokes amongst the Mongols, finds himself forced to meet his destiny due to Zhu’s actions on the battlefield.
This book is outstanding. I was really into both Zhu and Ouyang’s stories, and the parts of the novel where they intersect are quite exciting. I love that these two leaders — recognized as brilliant and fearsome — are not the hypermasculine heterosexual warriors that society expects, and while they are recognized as brilliant, they are also suspect. There are a few other storylines that also touch on themes of outsiders trying to break their way into the system, whether they be women who know how to wield political and economic power or men who are better administrators than fighters. This novel ends with the main characters facing up to their destinies and I can’t wait to get to the second book to see what happens next.
