Book Review: The Same Moon by Junying Kirk

The Same Moon by Junying Kirk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Pearl Zhang was born in Sichuan Province in China, and grew up during the Cultural Revolution. She was raised in a typically Chinese manner, went to school, got a job, got married, and her whole life path was mapped out, or so it seemed.

Then she seized the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom – and stayed. How did she adjust to the Western way of life, and what did she have to do to overcome the barriers? Would she find happiness and fulfilment with her English suitor in Scotland, or would her heartache continue? She was in a new world, both foreign and exciting – under the Same Moon.

This book, the first of Junying Kirk’s “Journey to the West” Trilogy, will take you on a journey full of surprises and discoveries, from the East to the West, from the Middle Kingdom to the United Kingdom.

My Thoughts:
I still can't quite decide what genre to identify "The Same Moon" with. It has a little bit of everything: drama, romance, but it's pretty much the life story of Pearl, the main character.

Honestly, my first impression of The Same Moon isn’t good, I thought it was going to be a looong read. As I started to read it I thought it had an “autobiography-like” format, where the protagonist was telling her own story. As I went on, I found her stories interesting. However, there were lots of things going on and I can’t find a main problem in the novel unlike the usual novels. The plot instead focuses on her life and following her dreams. I also felt like I’ve been to China, and Europe and back. I have mixed feelings while reading the too detailed but informative paragraphs about China and Europe’s culture and tourist spots. I am happy with the new infos I learned, but at the same time I also felt like “Is it really necessary to be this detailed?”.

The characters. Wow, I think I’ve never read a novel with so many characters. I was confused later on especially with the Chinese names, I kept on thinking “Was this guy the guy who did this before?” etc. But, I have to say the main characters were interesting. For Pearl, even if she was narrating, I still saw her flaws as a human being and how her every decision isn’t perfect. The other supporting characters were so good. Antagonists were super mean, and there are others that are just plain irritating, while others are so adorable and some are gullible too.

I don’t regret reading the novel as I’ve learned a lot from Pearl. Her life story is not yet finished, but she accomplished a lot already. I felt like I was her, and I was living her life. She’s so brave and independent, and have so many aspirations in life. She doesn’t let barriers hinder her from escaping the little box where she’s confined in. I learned a lot about Communism (more than I would like in fact), and other stuffs such as immigration process, tourist spots I’ve never heard of, and a lot other more. I like how Junying Kirk began and ended with the same scene, it was very endearing.

The Same Moon is not just the story of Pearl, but it’s a novel we can all relate too one way or another. It’s very much realistic. Though there were so many different short stories in her life, but when gathered together, they form a one big story. There were lots of topic covered here: history, politics, education, society, ethics, culture, geography, and romance. Readers who wants an intellectual and informative, and a bit enjoyable book and somewhat “rumor-infested” story will surely love this. The Same Moon has a gripping story that I had a difficult time letting go because I always want to know more and more of what will happen next. Very interesting read indeed.



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