About the Author

Emily X.R. Pan lives on Lenape land in Brooklyn, New York, but was originally born in the Midwestern United States to immigrant parents from Taiwan. Her debut novel, The Astonishing Color of After, was a New York Times bestseller, winner of the APALA Honor and Walter Honor awards, a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize, longlisted for the Carnegie Medal, and featured on over a dozen best-of-the-year lists. She received her MFA in fiction from the NYU Creative Writing Program, where she was a Goldwater Fellow and editor-in-chief of Washington Square. She was the founding editor-in-chief of Bodega Magazine, and went on to co-create the FORESHADOW platform and anthology. An Arrow to the Moon is her second novel. Visit Emily online at exrpan.com, and find her on Twitter and Instagram: @exrpan.

Reviews

* "[The novel] pushes the readers' expectations in beautiful and interesting ways."--School Library Connection, starred review

* "Dynamic, brave Leigh emerges vividly in Pan's deft hand, and her enthralling journey through her grief glows with stunning warmth, strength, and resilience."--Booklist, starred review

* "Pan offers an extraordinary journey that proves real, surreal, and wholly magical."--Shelf Awareness

* "Pan's debut novel is not to be missed."--School Library Journal, starred review

* "Pan's emotionally charged debut is a compelling exploration of grief and the insidiousness of depression."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "This novel is as elegant as it is mesmerizing."--VOYA, starred review

"lyrical and suspenseful"--The New York Times Book Review

"A hypnotic narrative."--Horn Book

"An evocative novel that captures the uncertain, unmoored feeling of existing between worlds--culturally, linguistically, ethnically, romantically, and existentially--it is also about seeking hope and finding beauty even in one's darkest hours."--Kirkus Reviews

"Emily X.R. Pan beautifully depicts grief in all its complexities: the numbing sadness, the rage, the confusion, and, most hauntingly, the joy."--Bustle.com

"Emily X.R. Pan utterly transported me to a world reminiscent of Isabel Allende. Haunting at every turn, this is a glorious debut."--Renée Ahdieh, bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn

"I am sure I will return to this book every year, just as I am sure that there will always be something new for me to find in its pages."--BookRiot

"In her debut book, Pan communicates what seems many lifetimes of wisdom: the intricacies of grief, how mental illness ripples through families and what it means to find love in the midst of so much loss."--The Daily Beast

"In this dazzling debut, author Emily X.R. Pan has created a spellbinding narrative about love, family, and what it means to grieve."--Bustle

"Magic and mourning, love and loss, secrets kept and secrets revealed all illuminate Emily X.R. Pan's inventive and heart-wrenching debut."--Gayle Forman, bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here

"My heart has never been more pleasantly devastated. A raw and brilliant debut."--Roshani Chokshi, bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen

"The story is centered on a heart-wrenching mystery, yet Pan's prose is as warm and free-flowing as Waipo's oolong tea, making this story a surprisingly uplifting one."--BookPage

"The Astonishing Color of After works a delicate magic. Its portrayal of grief is deeply felt, and so too is its deliciously tricky romance. I loved this book."--Marie Rutkoski, bestselling author of The Winner's Curse

"This beautiful, magical journey through grief made my heart take flight."--Holly Black, bestselling author of The Cruel Prince and The Darkest Part of the Forest

"This is a lush page-turner of a book that blends a straightforward teen coming-of-age and tragic family drama with the legends and stories surrounding the Chinese Ghost Month. It's an exquisite novel with an irresistible narrator and beguiling mystery. Pan has accomplished so much with The Astonishing Color of After; her writing shimmers on every single page."--Locus

"Through Leigh's emotional, illuminating first person narration, Emily X. R. Pan peels back the layers of her grief to expose the heart at the center. The result is a novel as lyrical as it is earnest."--Tor.com

"This story really comes alive through Emily X.R. Pan's prose. Every sentence feels imbued with an ethereal magic. The two protagonists bond as they discover their family's secrets, navigate their futures and seek to understand the mysterious forces that surround them."--NPR's Books We Love

An IndieBound Bestseller
An NPR Best Book *"In lush prose, Pan retells both the Chinese legend of Chang'e and Houyi and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The seemingly ordinary setting of "1991, in Fairbridge, Where We Lay Our Scene" opens up to a world full of mystery and magic."--Horn Book, starred review

"... story that glows with ethereal magic."--NPR

"...intricately woven tapestry of first love, intergenerational struggles, and the joys and heartaches of growing up."--BCCB

"... intricately woven tapestry of first love, intergenerational struggles, and the joys and heartaches of growing up. "--BCCB, starred review

"An extraordinary debut from a fiercely talented writer."--Nova Ren Suma, bestselling author of The Walls Around Us

" ...a brilliant story that will have you lingering on every moment. Hunter and Luna will capture your heart..."--B&N Reads

"A lyrical love story infused with Chinese mythology."--TIME Magazine

"A young adult novel that crafts a bittersweet narrative of love, family, and culture."--The International Examiner

"A lovely, lyrical exploration of how a poignant Chinese myth might play out in a contemporary setting." --Kirkus

"As anyone who read The Astonishing Color of After can tell you, Emily X. R. Pan's writing is, well, astonishing, and this story, pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Houyi and Chang'e, solidifies that fact." --Buzzfeed

"Expansive, third-person chapters--including some from the adults' perspectives--and snippets of lore create a contemporary telling with an otherworldly, age-old feel in this cleverly conceived novel."--Publishers Weekly

"Like Pan's's debut, An Arrow to the Moon will blend romance, emotional storytelling, Chinese mythology and fantastical elements for an unforgettable combination."--Bookpage

"An Arrow to the Moon will blend romance, emotional storytelling, Chinese mythology and fantastical elements for an unforgettable combination."--Bookpage

Praise for An Arrow to the Moon: "An Arrow to the Moon is a beautifully crafted blend of mythology and modern love story, full of stunning prose, characters who feel achingly real, and magic lurking just behind the ordinary. One of my new favorites!"--Hannah Whitten New York Times bestselling author of For The Wolf)

"An effortless fusion of myth and realism, coming of age and fairy tale, this haunting love story rises on gossamer wings, but cuts bone deep."--Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

Praise for The Astonishing Color of After: A New York Times bestsellerAn IndieBound bestsellerBustle Best of YA Books of 2018A Paste Magazine Best Young Adult Novel of 2018Winner of the Walter Honor AwardWinner of the APALA Honor AwardAn LA Times Award Finalist