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Content Warning: homophobia, racism, xenophobia, miscarriage, underage drinking, family estrangement.
Lily Hu is seventeen years old in 1954. Under the threat of McCarthyism, she tries to go about her "normal" life, all while fearing that her father might be deported because of America's new fear of Chinese Communism, and dealing with feelings she doesn't quite understand. Finding herself drawn to a school outcast, Kathleen Miller, Lily slowly comes to realize that she isn't the only girl in the world that might be different from her marriage- and boy-obsessed friends -- and that there might be a future and community out there for someone like her.
I think it's fair to say I've become a diehard Malinda Lo fan. I read Ash sometime in 2015, if I remember correctly, when I was only seventeen myself, and it was like a breath of fresh air for me. Not only did it include a wonderful relationship between two girls, but it was also beautifully written, full of lovely lore and mythology. This year I finally got around to reading Huntress as well; they got five and four star reviews from me, respectively, and so you can just imagine my anticipation for this book.
This book is no different. It's gorgeous -- rendered into life by the emotion and connection to the characters, as well as the descriptions which help to transport you into 1950s' San Francisco. Lily was entirely lovable, gentle but never so sweet as to leave you with a toothache. Her feelings are complex, formed both by the time period she lives in and the restraints of heteronormative life, but all the while she strives to make a place for herself. A place where she can be herself.
The characters are so relatable, and you grow so attached to them, that you don't have to be a part of the LGBT+ community, a person of color, or basically similar to Lily in any way to love this book. Although I can never truly "relate" to the racism, xenophobia and fetishization that Lily is forced to deal with, it's easy to put yourself into her shoes and to be not only angry for her, but also to root for her. Let me assure you, you will want Lily (and by extension, Kath) to win. To make her life into what she wants it to be. Lo's capturing of being other, of the sensation of being "the only one", is vivid and heartbreaking. It's the feeling of never fully fitting in; in her Chinese community, her lesbianism sets her apart; in her lesbian community, her race separates her.
It's only Kath that truly seems to understand her, to put both halves and to see them as a whole. This book does feature a rather prominent romance, but refreshingly enough, that is not the primary motivation behind Lily's story. Instead, this book takes us on a journey of not only acceptance and hardship, but also gives us brief chapters from Lily's mother's point of view as well as her aunt's. Some people were not pleased with these brief intrusions on Lily's narrative, but I personally found them interesting and a wonderful glimpse into the other women in Lily's family. Meanwhile, the romance is tender, sweet, and all-around enjoyable.
This book is no different. It's gorgeous -- rendered into life by the emotion and connection to the characters, as well as the descriptions which help to transport you into 1950s' San Francisco. Lily was entirely lovable, gentle but never so sweet as to leave you with a toothache. Her feelings are complex, formed both by the time period she lives in and the restraints of heteronormative life, but all the while she strives to make a place for herself. A place where she can be herself.
The characters are so relatable, and you grow so attached to them, that you don't have to be a part of the LGBT+ community, a person of color, or basically similar to Lily in any way to love this book. Although I can never truly "relate" to the racism, xenophobia and fetishization that Lily is forced to deal with, it's easy to put yourself into her shoes and to be not only angry for her, but also to root for her. Let me assure you, you will want Lily (and by extension, Kath) to win. To make her life into what she wants it to be. Lo's capturing of being other, of the sensation of being "the only one", is vivid and heartbreaking. It's the feeling of never fully fitting in; in her Chinese community, her lesbianism sets her apart; in her lesbian community, her race separates her.
It's only Kath that truly seems to understand her, to put both halves and to see them as a whole. This book does feature a rather prominent romance, but refreshingly enough, that is not the primary motivation behind Lily's story. Instead, this book takes us on a journey of not only acceptance and hardship, but also gives us brief chapters from Lily's mother's point of view as well as her aunt's. Some people were not pleased with these brief intrusions on Lily's narrative, but I personally found them interesting and a wonderful glimpse into the other women in Lily's family. Meanwhile, the romance is tender, sweet, and all-around enjoyable.
I really, truly cannot recommend this book enough. It's full of wonderful characters, a both heartwarming and heart-wrenching story of the journey of finding yourself, and as an added bonus, full of historical detail and the kind of in-depth research that makes you feel as if you're really living in the past. For me, Lo has done it again. I can only imagine what she'll come out with next, and I can tell you I'll be wanting to get my hands on it as soon as she allows us the privilege of reading it!
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