Light from Uncommon Stars

The setting of Light From Uncommon Stars, the San Gabriel Valley, is an important element of the story. More than simply the backdrop for the plot, it acts as a living canvas upon which Aoki explores some of her most important themes: change, transition, immigration, and legacy.

Several times throughout the book, Aoki gives detailed descriptions of the many restaurants and businesses that populate the city, paying particular attention to the food that is served and the families that have come and gone over the years. While some parts of the city are constantly changing, to the point that “change had become, well, mundane” (34), other parts of the city are “curiously resistant to change” (34), remaining as familiar landmarks for long-time residents. In the setting of San Gabriel Valley, change and stasis are blended together. Examples include Starrgate Donuts, formerly known as El Monte Donuts and owned by the Thamavuong couple, and Caputo’s pizza, which retained its name even as ownership and the type of food it sells (now Asian rather than Italian) changed over the years. As Shizuka tells Tremon, “Times have changed, the food has changed.