The Star Fisher

Year 1992
Pages 150
Binding Paperback

Worth buying if: You enjoy Laurence Yep's focus on Chinese-American family life and cultural detail.

Skip it if: You expect fast-paced plot twists rather than reflective, character-driven scenes.

Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140360035. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.

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Summary

In The Star Fisher, Laurence Yep blends family drama and folklore as a boy confronts loss, cultural memory, and a supernatural connection to the sea while navigating life in a coastal community.

Why this book now

Readers seeking compassionate, multicultural coming-of-age fiction will find The Star Fisher's blend of Chinese-American experience and maritime myth still resonant.

30-second preview

Two quick cards, fifteen seconds each.

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1-sentence hook

Laurence Yep's The Star Fisher follows a young Chinese American boy's startling journey between fishermen's lives and a mysterious, sea-born destiny.

Card 1 of 2

Best for readers who...

Good fit if you want...

  • You enjoy Laurence Yep's focus on Chinese-American family life and cultural detail.
  • You want a compact coming-of-age tale that weaves folklore and seaside setting.
  • If you value fast plots, the book leans on dry, observational wit.

Maybe skip if...

  • You expect fast-paced plot twists rather than reflective, character-driven scenes.
  • You prefer urban realism without supernatural or mythic elements tied to the sea.
  • You need the newest edition, freshest examples, or the most current framing.

Mood / Vibe Tags

nostalgic meditative seaside Quick read Older edition

Decided it fits?

Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140360035

Worth buying if: You enjoy Laurence Yep's focus on Chinese-American family life and cultural detail.

Skip it if: You expect fast-paced plot twists rather than reflective, character-driven scenes.

Buy Paperback on Amazon

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.

Reader guide

Cues to help you decide faster.

Reading commitment

Light Short sit-downs

At about 150 pages, The Star Fisher is a short, measured read—best for an afternoon or a few evening sessions of focused reflection.

What stands out here

This Penguin Group USA edition emphasizes Laurence Yep's lyrical prose and the book's melding of Chinese folklore with coastal American life.

Best way to approach it

Read slowly to savor Yep's descriptive passages and cultural nuances, pausing to reflect on family scenes and the book's mythic sea imagery.

Paperback: ISBN-13 9780140360035

Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.