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Synopsis (from Goodreads):
“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”
Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.
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.
Review:
I hadn't heard much about this book before I checked it out from the public library. But I knew this was about San Francisco Chinatown in the 1950's, and a girl coming to terms with being a lesbian. I also knew that this won the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. This was a beautiful, heartbreaking book.
Most people don't remember what it was like when being a homosexual was considered a mental illness. Even though the Supreme Court ruled that gays had the right to assemble in 1951, there were still raids on gay bars, and people were thrown in jail on trumped up charges of "lewd conduct", and "contributing to the delinquency of a minor". This book was set seventy years ago. It made me so sad for gay people of my parents' generation.
I loved the two main characters, Lily and her girlfriend Kath. They are high school seniors who are realizing that they like girls, not boys. Lily's filled with shame and fear as she finds that she is not like her friends. Add to this that Lily is Chinese-American, with a culture that values traditional family, and denies there are any gay Chinese, it's no wonder Lily is fearful.
Since the Chinese students tend to stick together, she doesn't really know Kath (a Caucasian) all that well. But they are the only two girls in their high school's advanced math class during their senior year. They both have similar dreams of having a career in math and science. Then Kath tells Lily about the Telegraph Club, a nightclub with male impersonators. Lily is drawn to this and asks Kath to take her to the bar. Once they get some fake ID's, they agree to meet there.
This book is so intense, that I had to put it down several times. As she becomes bolder and takes more chances, I worried for Lily. I didn't want Lily to get caught! But, if things were easy, there wouldn't be much of a story. Just be warned that it is tough to read about what can happen to people when they come out to their family!
What I Liked:
Characters:
Lily is such an engaging character. As her senior year begins, her life-long friendship with Shirley (another Chinese-American girl) is strained. Lily begins to see how manipulative her friend is and she has had enough! She is tired of being a doormat, and pushes back against her friend. But, since they live in such a tight-knit community, her parents just assume that they will always be best friends. They have no idea that Shirley is a queen bee and has been stinging her "friends" for years.
Shirley actually was also a sympathetic character, despite her shortcomings. She feels the sting of racism daily and sometimes wishes she didn't live in Chinatown. She dreams of going to Hollywood and being in movies. But she knows that she will soon be expected to get married and have children, staying in Chinatown forever.
Setting & Historical Details:
The author did extensive research into the time period, San Francisco Chinatown, LGBTQ issues in the 1950's, and the Red Scare. All these details add a layer of realism that helps bring Lily's problems to life. Not only is she afraid of being labeled a lesbian, she is also worried about her father's immigration status. Even though he was an American citizen, he still was threatened with deportation if he didn't confirm that one of his patients was a communist. If Lily is labeled a homosexual, she might put her father in even more danger.
This was also a really fascinating look into the gay community in San Francisco in the 1950's. How does a young person even find other gay people when it is so dangerous? Small nightclubs with entertainment that promised "a gay old time" were learned about through word of mouth. Bouncers looked the other way at teenagers getting in. Suddenly, Lily sees that there are many other lesbians in the city. It was a revelation for her, and made her more comfortable with who she was.
Story:
This story had a lot of tension as Lily realizes she is gay, and then starts to explore what that means. With every act of rebellion, Lily comes closer and closer to being caught. I was constantly worried for her. What would happen to her if her friends or family found out?
Spoiler Alert...The ending is not a feel-good happy moment where the characters all get what they want. But it was a very realistic ending that did leave me hopeful for Lily and Kath. This really made me appreciate how much things have changed. While it still depends on a person's family, many young people have much less traumatic coming out stories. I hope that parents of gay kids will read this and realize that their kids need to be loved and supported, not shamed and ridiculed by their family.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: January 19th, 2021
Author: Malinda Lo
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/LBGTQ YA Fiction
Page Length: 416 Pages
Source: Public Library
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: This is a truly special book that I hope teens, and parents, will read. I highly recommend it.
