Thief of Hearts
Author: Laurence Yep
Setting: contemporary United States
Protagonist's culture/ethnicity: Chinese American
Stacy Palmer, the 13-year-old protagonist of Thief of Hearts, appeared as a young child in Yep's earlier novel, Child of the Owl. Having grown up in the suburbs with her Chinese-American mother, a successful psychologist, and her white American father, Stacy has always considered herself to be just like everyone else. However, when Stacy's mother encourages her to befriend Hong Ch'un, a girl who has just arrived from China, Stacy becomes uncomfortably aware that not everyone sees her as a “regular” American girl.
When Hong Ch'un is accused of stealing and Stacy rises to her defense, Stacy's friends accuse her of siding with the new arrival because of their shared Chinese heritage. Stacy's comfortable American identity is dealt a further blow when she overhears someone at school calling her “a half-breed.” Feeling lost and unsure about her place in the world, Stacy yearns for some kind of reassurance that she belongs.
Stacy's troubles increase when she discovers that Hong Ch'un has run away. Stacy, her mother, and great-grandmother Tai-Pa make the trip to San Francisco's Chinatown to find her. Walking the streets with her family turns into a journey of discovery for Stacy, who learns a great deal about her mother's life as a young girl growing up in Chinatown, and for the first time Stacy begins to think about her cultural heritage and what it really means to be Chinese American. Stacy returns from Chinatown with a greater understanding of both her mother and her great-grandmother, and a renewed confidence in herself.
Realizing that she had misjudged Hong Ch'un in the way some of her friends at school had misjudged her, Stacy helps the new arrival clear her name by setting a trap for the real thief. With the help of Tai-Pa and her father, Stacy uncovers the thief's identity, and Hong Ch'un is no longer regarded as a criminal. The novel ends on a hopeful note with Stacy contemplating the possibility of making new worlds when the old worlds become too small. Reassured by her great-grandmother's unconditional love, Stacy feels confident that even if she doesn't have a connection to a home in Chinatown, she can make her own home with all of the love she has for the people in her life.