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= Morning Sun in Wuhan (novel) =

Morning Sun in Wuhan is a work of contemporary fiction written by Ying Chang Compestine and published in 2022. The story is set at the beginning of the COVID pandemic in Wuhan, China. The novel is about a young girl who finds comfort in her passion for cooking, as she grieves and adapts to a new normal during a state lock-down.

Description
What was the pandemic of the century like at the start? This swift, gripping novel captures not only the uncertainty and panic when COVID first emerged in Wuhan, but also how a community banded together.

Weaving in the tastes and sounds of the historic city, Wuhan’s comforting and distinctive cuisine comes to life as the reader follows 13-year-old Mei who, through her love for cooking, makes a difference in her community. Written by an award-winning author originally from Wuhan.

Grieving the death of her mother and an outcast at school, thirteen-year-old Mei finds solace in cooking and computer games. When her friend’s grandmother falls ill, Mei seeks out her father, a doctor, for help, and discovers the hospital is overcrowded. As the virus spreads, Mei finds herself alone in a locked-down city trying to find a way to help.

Characters

 * Mei Li: Protagonist; when COVID spreads, she forms a volunteer group with her friends to deliver meals to sick neighbors
 * Dr. Li: Referred to as “Father”; Mei’s father; after the death of his wife, he buries himself in his work as the director of Yangtze Hospital’s respiratory care department.
 * Mrs. Li: Referred to as “Mother”; Mei’s mother, also a doctor at Yangtze Hospital, who has passed away before the start of the novel.
 * Aunty: Mei’s aunt and director of the emergency kitchen; distances herself from Mei after the death of her sister, but re enters her life out of concern once COVID starts spreading
 * Chef Ma: Owner and head chef of restaurant “Double Happy”; volunteer cook for the emergency kitchen, who takes Mei as his apprentice
 * Juan: Referred to at first as “Piano Girl”; Mei’s upstairs neighbor, who becomes her close friend throughout the course of the novel
 * Mrs. Fong: Middle-aged neighborhood community director, who leads efforts to distribute groceries to neighbors
 * Ming: Mei’s close friend and member of the Phoenix Group; offers to pick up the meals and drop them off
 * Hong: Mei’s friend and member of the Phoenix Group; upset at his role as kitchen helper
 * Meatball and Steamer: guest players who became a part of the Phoenix Group and help deliver meals
 * Mr. Chen: Mei’s grumpy neighbor; he stands up for Mei against the two Pandas
 * Mrs. Li: Neighborhood committee member, who helps distribute groceries
 * Mrs. Liu: Volunteer cook in the emergency kitchen
 * Yi and Jing: Unskillful emergency kitchen volunteers Mei must train
 * Old Panda: A large man nicknamed by Mei as “Old Panda”; he leads the effort to lock in Mrs. Fong once rumors of her having COVID spreads
 * Young Panda: Old Panda’s son, who assists him
 * Old Wong: A famous street cook; Mei watches a video of him to study his technique

Critical Reception
Morning Sun in Wuhan was praised by critics for its hopeful themes and its insightful account of life in the epicenter at the start of the COVID pandemic. The San Francisco Chronicle referred to the book as, “. . .a multifaceted novel set at the start of the outbreak in early 2020 that reads like a love letter to her beloved but beleaguered birthplace. . . .intertwined are other goals: to encourage girl power, counter racism, honor selflessness and extol community spirit.”

Common Sense Media stated Morning Sun in Wuhan is ​“. . . breathtaking, gripping, and uplifting. . . “ and Booklist declared the novel as ". . . a unique and poignant tale . . . In addition to eliciting hope and compassion, Compestine’s creative and genuine storytelling offers up numerous windows into Chinese culture . . ."​ Kirkus Reviews referred to the novel as ". . . a bridge builder across geography and culture, universal in its themes of family and community through the global pandemic, encouraging empathy, introspection, and optimism."

Morning Sun in Wuhan has been chosen as a Gold Standard Selection by the Junior Library Guild and has been designated as a recipient of the Common Sense Selection by Common Sense Media.