“Proof of Malinda Lo’s skill at creating darkly romantic tales of love in the face of danger.“—O: The Oprah Magazine“The queer romance we’ve been waiting for.”—Ms. Magazine“Restrained yet luscious.”—Sarah Waters, bestselling author of Tipping the Velvet A National BestsellerSeventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. … the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. Whenever it started growing, it definitely bloomed the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible.
But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.
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Beautifully written, the kind of book that sucks you entirely into the world the author has created. This will be one that stays with me!
I had the opportunity to read an advanced review copy of Malinda Lo’s upcoming novel and it is my third 5 star book out of 100+ so far this year for a few reasons: 1950s San Francisco, women in STEM, #ownvoices (Asian American, Lesbian), and sapphics in love. I highly recommend.
A gorgeous lesbian coming of age story set in 1954 San Francisco with a Chinese American heroine and an incredibly satisfying romance subplot. Plus, the family and immigrant community dynamics are so powerful, and the historical detail is amazing. Highly recommended!
This is probably the most relatable coming-of-age self-discovery journey I’ve ever read. Malinda Lo packed so much into this book, and it’s certainly one of my favorite books of the year.
One of the earliest books I read this year, and I knew as soon as I finished it that this latest from Malinda Lo would be one of my favorites for the year. With the year two-thirds done, my opinion hasn’t changed. It’s a brilliant historical novel focused on a beautiful romance.
This story reminded me of another favourite of mine, TIPPING THE VELVET, but set during the Red Scare in the US, and I think it’s a captivating, important coming-of-age/coming-out read.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
By Malinda Lo
Chinese-American
Queer historical fiction San Francisco Chinatown
Set in the 1950’s Red Scare
An incredible and beautifully well-written and well-researched novel set in San Francisco during the red scare. It is a story about immigration, culture, identity and one of blemished part of our American history. I thought that the relationship and the characters were so well written, my heart was about to burst. This is a true gem of a book and as a historical fiction lover and lover of YA books, this combination with the queer love story was a winner.
I cannot recommend this enough.
I’ve thought this over, and I’ve gone back and forth between 4-5 stars, finally settling on 4. This book is great, and I enjoyed reading it, but I don’t think I will ever read it again, and that’s my parameter for 5 stars.
I won a netgalley arc of this from Yallwrite! Thank you! All my opinions are based on the unreleased copy I read.
Spoilers, Darling.
“There are no homosexuals in this family. Are you my daughter?”
The ending was abrupt and, while somewhat expected, still a surprise that reminded me of how very far we’ve come in regards to lgbtqia rights and freedom to exist.
I really enjoyed the setting. I don’t think that I’ve ever read a book that was set in the 1950s, and I definitely haven’t read one from the pov of a Chinese American teenager. I learned a lot about the 1950s lesbian community, Chinatown, pre WWII Chinese immigration, McCarthyism, the Chinese Japanese war, and the Chinese civil war, etc. These are things that were glossed over, if not completely ignored in my history classes in the 1990s.
I really enjoyed the characters. I don’t think there was any character I didn’t like, save the one you’re supposed to not like by the end. But that brings us to the true meaning behind my 4 rather than 5 stars… The communism storyline felt so superfluous. SPOILER It starts off serious, father had his papers taken away because he won’t lie and say someone is a communist, and ends with Lily being sent away because having a lesbian daughter and suspected communist ties might be enough to get dad deported…? I realize this was a different time and that combination was probably possible, but it sure felt like it came out of left field and was there merely for convenience.
When it first happened, I didn’t know what to think about the chapters told from other character’s pov (Lily’s relatives). But as I read more of the novel, I enjoyed the peeks into the past, and getting to know her parents and aunt better. I do wish we could have gotten more one on one with Aunt Judy, though. She seemed like the perfect person to help Lily there at the end.
All in all, I enjoyed Last Night at the Telegraph Club and I’m very thankful I was able to read an arc before it’s released!