“She’s having a hard time right now because you’re not what she expected. But we’re never what our parents expected. They have to learn that lesson.”The writing style of this book blew me away and made it instantly feel like a classic due to the incredible story. I love that we have a main character that is obsessed with sci-fi and rockets during a time when young women were pushed towards more stereotypical "feminine" jobs and that we get to follow along with Lily's struggles to not only fit in and fly under the radar as a "good Chinese girl" as her parents want but also watch as she comes to terms with her sexuality. Each sneak-out makes you anxious with anticipation and leads you to root for Lily when dangers surround her around every corner. Lily knew when to look the part to appeal to her parents, but she also knew that while following her heart was scary, it was freeing. This book leaves you empathetic for Lily and her story as you can't help but love her character and desire to be her true self in a time that was so limiting to young women like her. The descriptions of the setting and characters make you want to lurk in the corners of the Telegraph Club with Lily while watching the male impersonators put on a show.It's difficult to put into words how I feel about this book as it's incredible and no words do it true justice. I highly recommend this book to all readers as not only does it cast light onto a difficult time in American history for the Asian American population during the Red Scare, but also onto the ever-constant battle against homophobia present in society. Just read this book and thank yourself later.
I LOVED this book! It started slow for me, but by Chapter 5 I was hooked. It took me a week to finish only because I didn’t want it to end, so I kept forcing myself to put it down 😅 It’s beautifully written and I didn’t want it to end.Lily and Kath were both such endearing and well developed characters. It was so easy to root for them. Apparently, even though it is not a sequel, we get to see a look at their future in A Scatter of Light, so I cannot wait until my (already preordered) paperback copy arrives next month!I am not one who typically gets excited about history, but the way that it was woven into this story and made it informative without ever being dull. I also REALLY enjoyed the Author’s Note at the end which provided even more information about the 1950’s, San Francisco, China Town & Chinese Americans, the language, and the queer community.Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a masterpiece.
I loved this book and highly recommend it!
Nice read
I’m an old, white gay man from the Deep South. I wasn’t sure I’d be interested in a book about a Chinese American teenage woman when there are so many other queer books I could be reading. But of course a good writer can make a specific experience something universal. That's the main reason for reading any book. The story is beautifully written. And unfortunately all too relevant in our increasingly xenophobic and homophobic environment. It’s long and rather slow moving but fascinating and gripping every moment. There are already so many reviews of the book that there’s no need for me to elaborate at greater length. Highly recommended.
Great book about a young girl coming of age in the 1950s and discovering her sexuality. It's a YA book, but also enjoyable for adults.
Lovely book!
Book was in very good shape as described, I can't wait to read it
I'm going to say this at the top: don't skip the authors note!!!! This book touches on so many topics from queer scene in 1950s, being Asian American in 50s, traditional vs American Asian, relationships with the family, friendships and growing apart, finding yourself, communism and immigration, racism and assimilation, etc. Taking this journey with lily was wild. We all grow up and evolve and discover things about ourselves. I identify as straight but empathize and stand with the queer community and I can't imagine those/these times. Like let people live. I thought lily was brave at the end to stay true to herself and I was so curious how it was going to end and I was happy enough with it. I want to watch some documentaries now mentioned in the book. There's more that can be said but ill leave it here.
A beautifully written, historically accurate coming of age queer love story.The author even includes in the end a section discussing why she uses the language she does. This is a really good glimpse into the realities of queerness in the '50s and it wasn't all pretty. The unique viewpoint of Asian American life in the '50s prompted some history deep diving on my end and I love when a book prompts further interest in topics you realize you knew very little about. We're all so absorbed in our own worlds and it was a pleasure getting to glimpse into another world that wasn't actually another world at all.Wonderful young adult read.
I enjoyed the book for a couple of reasons. The research time that the author put into this work is incredible. The place where the book takes place in "SanFrancisco" was very well written as I worked there for several years. The atmosphere surrounding the "adult clubs" on Broadway was very realistic.The characters were very believable and their personalities were consistent throughout the story. A loose thread was what happened to lilly's friend as she is just dropped from the story.The saying goes "always leave them wanting more".I am looking forward to more along this theme from the author.
Sweet vulnerability. Engaging historical story with love as its basis. Enjoyed it.
Saw that this was a banded book from a TikTok, where the author was talking about it. Didn’t know much about it when I purchased it other than I think the thought of any book being banned from us as Americans is ridiculous. Read the book , loved it hope that you will invest in this author. We’ll definitely be purchasing more items from her.
I read this book as a sophomore in college for a unit on banned books. Knowing that there is a generation of students who won't get to read this book and think about/discuss the themes Lo presents is devastating. Despite the debates surrounding the book’s appropriateness for younger kids, I believe this book is EXACTLY what children need to be reading. Specifically, I think middle school-aged children could gain a lot of value in reading this book to help them understand sexuality, relationships with family and friends, and that not everything is as black and white as some people may believe. Lily and Kath’s relationship is written so beautifully, and as a reader, it felt real.Even though I would categorize this as a YA novel, anyone at any age can gain a lot from reading this. The story is captivating and real. Lily (the main character) doesn't get everything she wants, and while the ending is somewhat satisfactory, it leaves the reader wanting to know more, which I think has its pros and cons. Personally, I liked the general ending, but to be honest, I wanted to know more about what ended up happening regarding some of the storylines of the book. For example, Lily’s father had some issues regarding his immigrant status. We hear bits and pieces here and there, but we never really find out if/how it gets solved. Relationships like Lily and Tommy’s (a performer at the Telegraph Club) spark interesting conversations about power dynamics and where the line is between nurturing and overstepping.I understand parents, guardians, and teachers may be worried about “exposing” children to “difficult” content and discussing things like sexuality with young individuals. But in my opinion, books like this are the perfect way to lay the groundwork for those types of conversations. We are delivered messages and lessons through an interesting story with layers about what it is like to be a teenage girl in a World of uncertainty– something I think many can relate to. Please read. Please give to your children to read. Please don't let this book be erased.
I truly truly recommend this book to everyone. It’s such a beautiful story, not just about two women falling inlove, but the sacrifices people will make to love one another that are showcased within other characters. If you’ve ever loved someone, you will fall inlove with this book. The things I’d do to read it for the first time again!
I didn’t finish the book I got about halfway through before I decided to stop reading all together. I liked the history and culture, and how it translates into the story, but because this book takes place in the 1950s there is some racism that takes place and even incorrect terminology used. It isn’t for everyone and know what you can and can’t handle. The beginning of the book describes underage girls in what feels like a slightly inappropriate manner but maybe it’s just me. I rate this book (at least as far as I’ve read) 5/10 stars.
”She felt as if she had finally cracked the last part of a code she had been puzzling over for so long that she couldn’t remember when she had started deciphering it. She felt exhilarated."Meet seventeen year old Lily Hu, who lives in San Francisco in the 1950’s. She is Chinese American and dreams of going to college and working with her Aunt at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to assist with getting a rocket into space. Her and her friend Kathleen Miller, aka Kath, are the only two girls in their advanced math class. Kath dreams of becoming a pilot one day.Over time, Lily finds ads in magazines of male impersonators and is fascinated. The ad slips out of one of her books one day while she is in the bathroom, and her classmate Kath finds it. She tells her that she has seen the male impersonator in the ad before, Tommy Andrews, at the Telegraph Club. She tells Lily she can take her if she wants to go and Lily agrees. She wants to explore the feelings she has that she cannot quite explain yet. Over time, Lily’s feelings for Kath change from that of a friendship to something much more.Malinda Lo did an unquestionably, fantastic job with this YA historical fiction LGBTQ novel. She touched on a subject that many authors have not written about; being an Asian American teen that identifies as a lesbian in the 1950’s. This was during a time when being gay was considered illegal, where there could be no public affection shown between members of the same sex, and when gay members could not congregate in bars/clubs. It was also during a time when the government was looking for communists. One wrong move, and Lily and her family could potentially be deported just based off of who they socialized with. Lo did her research and it shows. I especially appreciated the “Author’s Notes” section at the end of the book which gave additional information and pictures. I believe this would be a great read for younger members of the LGBTQ community.My only critiques would be that towards the middle of the book it felt a tad slow. I also wished there was more information on how Lily and Kath’s relationship turned out. In the epilogue, their relationship status is left open and I wished I knew more about what the future held for them.
This just might be my most favorite book of the year! I know we’re only in February, but still! This has long been waiting on my TBR pile and I could kick myself for taking so long to pick this up.This is a YA historical sapphic tale set in 1950s San Francisco. Lily a high school senior is the epitome of a “good Chinese girl” responsible and respectful. Her world is thrown into a tailspin when she realizes that she likes girls. Accompanying her in this discovery is Kath, a fellow senior and together they find “themselves” under the heady atmosphere of the Telegraph Club.There was so much to love about this book from the authenticity of the backdrop to the incredibly sweet romance playing out. Malinda Lo has clearly done a ton of research (check out her Author’s note, it’s amazing), you can see it come to life in the rich description of the city, the smokey club, the character mannerisms and interactions. All of which have that ring of reality to it and serves to completely immerse you in that time period.I loved how Lo slowly built out Lily’s affirmation of who she is from feeling initially guilty about her attraction, to being brave enough to seek out the Telegraph Club to proudly standing up to her beliefs and her love for Kath.There are lots of side characters and side stories, all serving the purpose of highlighting the political climate, drama and mental makeup of the characters. But my favorite was Lily’s aunt and role model Judy. Her last line “I don’t understand what you’ve been going through, but you’ll just have to put up with me until I do understand.” was just perfect and you know inside that Lily would be okay with Judy in her corner.That last portion of the book is a lip wobbler so get ready coz it packs a punch and that epilogue was just pure class. No saccharine HEA but something filled with lots of love and hope. The hype is well deserved! So don’t put it off anymore just go read it! Easily 5🌟s
I was thinking about this book in relation to the last book I read. In the last book, the protagonist was a straight white woman. I did not connect with her, despite being a straight white woman myself. Lo is such a good author that I had no problem connecting with her heroine, a high school-aged Chinese girl in the 1950s who discovers she is a lesbian.This is a fabulous novel: as a coming of age story, as historical fiction, and as a look at the pervasive racism and sexism of the time. Lily Hu is a good Chinese girl. She is best friends with Shirley Lum, another good Chinese girls. They live in Chinatown in San Francisco and their whole world is pretty Chinese except their high school.Lily already is not quite like them, though. She is fascinated with space and would love to go to space one day. Her friends don't understand why a girl would want that. The only person who might understand is the only other girl in the advanced math class, Kath Miller, a white girl.Lily sees an ad for a club featuring a male impersonator and becomes quietly obsessed with it. Kath hesitantly tells her that she has been there and they make plans to go together.Despite their cultural differences, Lily has much more in common with Kath, who wants to be a pilot, than all the other good Chinese girls. It's only natural they become friends.Lily finds she doesn't fit in the little box labeled "good Chinese girl" as well as everyone thinks. Of course she's a good daughter, good student, good sister, good friend. But she's not so eager to marry a good Chinese boy and have little Chinese babies.I liked the character of her Aunt Judy, who is a computer at JPL (back in the days when computers were women who were good at math). I was rather wishing that Aunt Judy would reveal that she felt the same way and denied herself to be a good Chinese girl. Ah, well. At least her career made her a good role model for her niece.
1950's San Francisco Chinatown is complicated enough for second generation Chinese teenagers, what with racism whenever they leave their safe neighborhoods, the Nationalists vs Communists entangling families in politics, and the ever present Red Scare excusing blatant police and enforcement inequities.Imagine falling in love with a white person of your own gender at that time.Lily is fascinated by the ad for a male impersonator at a local club. When she realizes the only other girl in her advanced math class also likes that ad, she begins sneaking out of her house and her "good Chinese daughter" persona to hang out in a club where terms like "butch" and "dyke" show her another world where women like her live and love.Lily is naive, and loving, and just wants to do the right thing, but she'll have to face the constant choice of living true to herself or telling lies to appease her family.The romance in this is understated and reserved, and its far more a historical exploration of 1950's Chinatown culture and the most interesting (to me ) intersection of cultures where the second generation children of immigrant parents must negotiate their identities within conflicting expectations. Lily is part of a large extended family that includes close knit families of Chinatown and her actions have repercussions on many people-- including her non-citizen father.I didn't personally care for the sudden changes in POV to Lily's mother and Aunt...they added little to the tale I thought and their voices were too similar to Lily's to be interesting to me. I found myself skimming those bits to get back to Lily. The addition of timelines with historical and Lily's family events were interesting, but also confusing as the flashbacks jumped back and forth.Very historically interesting, sweet, tale that keeps you anxious for Lily's welfare but never goes down a truly dark path.
