Danica Novgorodoff (Refresh, Refresh) puts a romantically morbid spin on an ancient Chinese tradition in her lushly illustrated story of a second son trying to please his parents.
When Deshi Li's older brother, Wei, dies after the two squabble, their inconsolable parents charge Deshi with the task of finding his deceased brother a wife. In China, an old tradition allows families to marry a dead son to a dead single woman so they might spend eternity together. When the grave robber provides only a rotting corpse, Deshi grows desperate. He knows his parents will accept only a beautiful, unspoiled bride for their beloved eldest son. Gorgeous village girl Lily Chen appears with such perfect timing that she seems like the answer to Deshi's prayers. Unfortunately for his mission, smart and sassy Lily is still alive. Is Deshi desperate enough to turn to murder?
While Deshi lives under the shadow of his parents' focus on tradition, Lily longs for modern life in the big city. Although both youngsters are naive, their opposite worldviews encourage them to reach out to each other and find a middle ground between a past rooted in the afterlife and a future too bright to come true. Novgorodoff's sunlight-drenched watercolor landscapes provide a gorgeous backdrop for the line-art characters as they travel the winding mountain roads of northern China. While plot points can be morbid, gritty or violent by turns, Deshi and Lily have plenty of opportunities to find and enjoy the hope of escape and redemption. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads