Lo, Malinda. Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2021. 9781529366587.
Plot
Story is about Lily Hu, a 17 year old Chinese American girl living in Chinatown; San Francisco in the 50s. She is prompted by an ad she finds for a nightclub advertising "male impersonators" to visit the place, with Kathleen, a student at her school. To find out she has been there before and they go together. That visit to the club is the beginning of a new world of possibilities for them both.
Critical Evaluation
Lily is intelligent, brave, and overall a very endearing person. She is paving her way in the world, where many obstacles for individuals like her is the standard. She has an open mind and a zest to learn, from the experiences she goes after. She seeks things driven by her desire for what she wants to know more about, and even if afraid it does not hold her back. They have an inspiring relationship with Kath. Together they are figuring their feelings, what it means to share them, and curiosity. Strong characters and depth, and great storyline, with much ground in the place it is told in. Many issues are tackled, historical time with the red scare, immigration, homophobia, interracial relationships, and although all of this is being confronted by the protagonist she is full of her teenage glory and feelings of warm arise from the reader, from her overcoming all that is set against her. Does not do this glorifying resilience, yet there is a lot of beauty expressed that truly speaks to Lily's character.
Reader's Annotation
Young 17 year old Chinese American girl in the 1950 in Chinatown, SF finds love and herself amidst so many pressures not to.
Author Information
Malinda Lo is the National Book Award-winning, bestselling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which received eight starred reviews and was named by Oprah Magazine as one of the 50 Best LGBTQ Books That Will Heat Up the Literary Landscape in 2021
Her debut novel Ash, a Sapphic retelling of Cinderella, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and was a Kirkus Best Book for Children and Teens. She has been a three-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Malinda’s short fiction and nonfiction has been published by The New York Times, NPR, Autostraddle, The Horn Book, and multiple anthologies. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their dog. She writes the biweekly newsletter Lo & Behold on writing and culture, and she can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Her website is malindalo.com.
Genre
Historical Fiction/ Romance Novel
BookTalking Ideas
Lily stumbled over the word homosexual. why did it have to sound so obscene, lily thought, the x crushed wetly in the back of her mouth.“ I will ask about this - and what it connotes.
Reading Level/Age Interest
Ages 14 - 17
Reading level: 9-12
Challenge Issues
Immigration, xenophobia, homophobia, drinking, sex, brief mention of miscarriage, some use of outdated racial and social epithets. I would have the Library Bill of Rights handy and Los Angeles County Library Collections policy, a listening ear and hopefully supportive leadership at my library/school.
Why I Included This Book in Collections
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