What a necessary read. This is a tense coming-of-age story of a young, Chinese-American lesbian in the 1950s that maintains an unerring focus on the intersections of her experiences of both racism and homophobia. When she finds safety and affirmation as a young queer woman at The Telegraph Club, she is still consistently othered in ways that feel violently hypersexualized, and when she finds comfort and security among her friends and family in Chinatown, she is still living a split, mostly closeted life. And despite the constant tension she feels, there is so much queer joy to be found in her relationship with Kath. The ways they are each discovering themselves and each other are so profoundly earnest and pure, and I was rooting for them all the way through. 

This is a particularly salient read for us now - in 2025 - when, once again, citizenship and permanent residency is used to blackmail racialized people, political dissenters and all of those deemed enemies of the state (or frankly, just enemies of the status quo). The very real fears of Lily's parents during this time are horrifyingly familiar to us today, and it's a reminder of how circular white American political violence truly is. 

The author's note is fascinating and explores all the real-world inspirations for these characters, the Telegraph Club and these specific conflicts. Also - the audiobook  - narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, an all-time fave - was perfect, and I highly recommend it in this format!