Malinda Lo

Acclaimed author of Ash Malinda Lo returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. "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.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

💌

Her mind flitted back to the club, remembering Kath's pleased expression after Rhonda had called her a baby butch. Lily had understood that at a gut level; she had seen it not only in Kath's hint of a smile but in the way she held her body. Almost like Tommy.

“Has something changed?" Kath asked. “Are you running for Miss Chinatown too?”

Lily’s eyebrows shot up. "Me? Oh no. I'm no beauty queen.” 

Kath smiled a little. "I don't know about that." 

Lily's face heated up. She looked past Kath's shoulder at the stacks of manila folders and bit her lip. She couldn't remember what she had wanted to say anymore. She thought wildly of Rhonda and the Nutcracker dancers and her awareness of Kath's sudden boyishness—or had it always been there?

A rush of longing came over her. She needed to fix this. To show Kath what she couldn't say. 

Lily reached out and impulsively took Kath's hand in hers. Kath started, but then she let Lily hold her hand. 

Lily knew immediately that this was different. It wasn't like grabbing Kath's hand to pull her into the supply room. Instinctively, Lily ran her thumb across Kath's palm, feeling the swell of Kath's flesh and the delicate thread of the vein in her wrist, the fluttering of Kath's pulse beneath her fingertip. She heard Kath catch her breath. 

Perhaps that was the most perverse part of this: the inside-outness of everything, as if denial would make it go away, when it only made the pain in her chest tighten, when it only made her emotions clearer.

Lilly 

Lily looked down at her coffee. “My mother said there are no homosexuals in our family." "Maybe there aren't, but there might be a lesbian."

Every face was turned toward the stage, where Tommy stood spotlighted, singing "Secret Love." Like every time before, there were a number of couples-men and women-seated close to the stage, the women somewhere between enthralled and embarrassed, the men wearing knowing smiles. Lily wondered what they thought they knew. She was pretty sure they were wrong.

"It was about two women." Lily's mouth felt so dry she might choke on the words. "That book, Strange Season. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other." And then she 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?" 

Kath's eyes widened briefly, and then she looked down at the floor and over at the science fiction rack and back at Lily, who felt her heart thudding like a drum, her blood rushing through her veins and turning her skin pink as she waited for Kath's response. An eternity seemed to pass; the heat of the fluorescent light on her head was like an artificial sun; the cash register at the front of the store rang like an alarm bell. Finally Kath said one soft word: "Yes."

Lily turned to the mirror. She saw a Chinese girl in a characterless gray suit-blank faced, nothing special, even a little boring. Respectable. The word felt square, immovable, like a sturdy box with all four corners equally weighted. A respectable girl was easily categorized, her motivations clear. She wanted a college degree, and then a husband, and then a nice home and adorable children, in that order. 

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.

Julia Rutgers

It was like finding water after a drought. She couldn't drink enough, and her thirst made her ashamed, and the shame made her angry.

"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 Bestseller Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when 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.

Jasper

The more her mother insisted it was a mistake, the more certain Lily was that is wasn't. Perhaps that was the most perverse part of this: the inside-outness of everything, as if denial would make it go away, when it only made the pain in her chest tighten, when it only made her emotions clearer.

She felt the rub of her mother's wedding ring against her skin, and her mother's face swam into focus, her brown eyed full of the sharp worry of love and Lily thought, You will never look at me like this again.

Lily didn't respond. She felt strangely disconnected from the moment, and yet she had never been so aware of the way Shirley's forehead wrinkled when she was upset.

Now she laid the woman pilots on the bed next to Katharine Hepburn and Tommy Andrews and looked at them all in succession. She couldn't put into words why she had gathered these photos together, but she could feel it in herbones: a hot and restless urge to look- and, by looking, to know.

Ember

Are you like the girls in the book too? Because I think I am.

bianca

She wondered if [she] could sense her, sitting here on this train as it took her away. Perhaps it was possible, if she closed her eyes and sent out her thoughts along the steel track like a message along a telegraph wire.

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.

Her mother’s face swam into focus, her brown eyes full of the sharp worry of love, and Lily thought, 

You will never look at me like this again

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then she 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?”

Valle Fernandez

"She's having a hard time right now because you're not what she expected. But we're never what our parents expect. They have to learn that lesson"

"You're not listening to me!" Lily cried. "I'm like them"

They looked at each other, Kath with her shy half smile and Lily with her earnestess and there was such an unexpected feeling of openness, as if they had lifted off from the ground right then and there. 

kitty 

super immersive, super sapphic, and super well written. this book was so relatable in so many ways and i just loved it. i had nearly no qualms with this book, and finishing it just now i feel like i’ve come up for air from another world. definitely recommend!

Winner of the National Book Award "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 Bestseller Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when 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.

kait

This book was so emotional that it made me sick to my stomach. 5 stars. This book follows Lily Hu as she grapples with what it means to grow up as a Chinese American who is questioning her sexuality. Having felt as though she had her sexuality figured out, Kathleen Miller shouldn't give her butterflies in her stomach. However, as her feelings for Kath grow stronger, she learns what it is like to fall in love differently than how it has been envisioned for her. This book is hard-hitting and especially emotional for those who can relate to the story. This book gave me insight into what it meant to be a Chinese American who is figuring themselves out and probably growing up differently that what is expected in a time where the threat of deportation threatens those closest to them. It reminded me of just how dangerous it can be for others who are not as privileged as me to come out. Being a lesbian and reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club, I saw myself represented here and I am especially grateful for that. I honestly think that everyone should read this book at least once to experience the kind of love that Lily and Kath have found in each other.

gripping story, beautifully written, very important read.

Bonnie

river

ahhh i loved it a lot even though i wish the ending was longer?? ):

'Lo's writing . . . shimmers with the thrills of youthful desire. A lovely, memorable novel' - Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch. From the award winning author of Ash comes a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the 1950s. 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.

“She felt the rub of her mother’s wedding ring against her skin, and her mother’s face swam into focus, her brown eyes full of the sharp worry of love, and Lily thought, You will never look at me like this again.” 

reading this line had me feeling like screaming and throwing up

Beautiful Y A love story set in 1950’s Chinatown in San Francisco. A lot of interesting topics are tackled in this novel: Chinese immigrants stories and situation in the US since mid-19th century, double citizenship and culture to balance, roots, conflicts between generations, family ties and expectations, feeling different, “resistance” to conformism, out of comfort zone choices, first love…

I liked the history background, but I missed bit of details in this matter to get closer to  the bigger picture. I craved for it! So the explanations at the end help a lot to put things into perspective. 

Barbara

Beautiful Y A love story set in 1950’s Chinatown in San Francisco. A lot of interesting topics are tackled in this novel: Chinese immigrants stories and situation in the US since mid-19th century, double citizenship and culture to balance, roots, conflicts between generations, family ties and expectations, feeling different, “resistance” to conformism, out of comfort zone choices, first love…

I liked the history background, but I missed bit of details in this matter to get closer to  the bigger picture. I craved for it! So the explanations at the end help a lot to put things into perspective. 

Saffana Nuraulia

i actually would’ve preferred it to be less…. slow burn… 😭😭

allison chen

50s jazz clubs, chinese american history, and girls in love

Francesca Starecheski

I learned and I loved all within it's pages, and will not soon forget the magic of the Telegraph Club.

Disclaimer: I love this book. I love this book maybe a bit too much, so this review is going to be biased. I always love coming-of-age stories, especially if they’re queer. So, Lily really holds a special place in my heart. For me, her character is the embodiment of ‘intersectionality’. Being a lesbian, American-born Chinese high school girl in 1950s – that’s what Lily had to deal with. She fumbled a lot (like most teenagers) but she did it in a very non-annoying human way that I couldn’t help but root for her.

The thing I love the most about this story is you can really tell it was written with so much love and care. All the characters have depths, you can somewhat dislike them but still understand their train of thoughts. It’s hard to explain but you can almost feel Lily inside you. Reading this book feels like seeing the world through Lily’s eyes. In my opinion, the writing style is magnificent, especially when it comes to describing the places. I don’t know anything about America in the 1950s, I have never been to the US but somehow I can imagine the streets and buildings really well. I can even imagine the smells of Chinatown’s streets and the Telegraph Club.

You couldn’t make me hate this book. Even after reading the low-rated reviews, I still stand by my words. Last Night at the Telegraph Club was truly written by and for queer people – and I enjoy every second of it.

Sashi

Disclaimer: I love this book. I love this book maybe a bit too much, so this review is going to be biased. I always love coming-of-age stories, especially if they’re queer. So, Lily really holds a special place in my heart. For me, her character is the embodiment of ‘intersectionality’. Being a lesbian, American-born Chinese high school girl in 1950s – that’s what Lily had to deal with. She fumbled a lot (like most teenagers) but she did it in a very non-annoying human way that I couldn’t help but root for her.

The thing I love the most about this story is you can really tell it was written with so much love and care. All the characters have depths, you can somewhat dislike them but still understand their train of thoughts. It’s hard to explain but you can almost feel Lily inside you. Reading this book feels like seeing the world through Lily’s eyes. In my opinion, the writing style is magnificent, especially when it comes to describing the places. I don’t know anything about America in the 1950s, I have never been to the US but somehow I can imagine the streets and buildings really well. I can even imagine the smells of Chinatown’s streets and the Telegraph Club.

You couldn’t make me hate this book. Even after reading the low-rated reviews, I still stand by my words. Last Night at the Telegraph Club was truly written by and for queer people – and I enjoy every second of it.

Love the vibe and the history and the rocket sciences and the forbidden love

Brenda 🌙

Amaaaazing

Love the vibe and the history and the rocket sciences and the forbidden love

i think about this book almost everyday now, i hope kath had a happy life i already miss her 

julia

Tatiana

Last Night at the Telegraph Club: 4.5/5

I read this book in one sitting. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a young adult novel that takes place in 1950s China Town, Sanfransico. It is a coming of age novel for a young Chinese girl who is coming to terms with her queer identity in a world brimming with panic and homophobia. Within this time, a bar called The Telegraph club serves as a safe place for those who are queer or questioning, and Lily finds her own refuge here.

This novel is simply beautiful. As a child of a Chinese immigrant family, I found myself in this novel and really could see my thoughts, beliefs, and struggles within Lily's journey to find herself. This is one of many reasons I believe many people will connect with this book. I think it provides such a unique experience that so many people will identify with, which makes this book so important.

Malinda Lo's writing is extremely approachable and easy to follow. I'm someone who definitely struggles to remember characters, but I did not have this issue with this book. Malinda Lo beautifully painted these characters as flawed, beautiful, and extremely memorable. I fell in love with everyone I met because all the characters feel so real. Furthermore, Malinda Lo beautifully outlines an authentic lesbian experience as well as touching upon the struggles a young Chinese woman has to combat to accept this identity within herself and justify it to those around her. 

The only reason this has 4.5/5 stars is because there are some blatant plot holes and some topics that are brought up and not discussed again. The reader is led to believe some topics will introduce some kind of conflict and they never come back into the story. This really didnt hinder much of the experience reading this book though. Malinda Lo makes up for it with everything else, but I cant ignore it in my review.

I 100% recommend this book to anyone and everyone. In fact, please read it. Thanks.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more invested in a love story, mainly because this story isn’t just about love. Lily goes through a great deal throughout these books, from her father losing his citizenship papers, to constant friendship issues with Shirley, and her realisation throughout the book that she likes Kath. This book tackles queer love for a girl in 1954 so brilliantly and sensitively, whilst still conveying a compelling story. Everything about this book was perfect.

Charlotte Squire

alaysiah 

Chanh

3.5 actually. As an Asian queer, I really thought I
would have liked it better. Like, STEM-loving Chinese
American lesbian? What more could i ask for. The
background of the story is informative and well-
researched, which really made the ambiance of San
Francisco's queer culture and Chinese American
community come alive. Yet the writing style feels rather
distant, which might be the author's intention. Still,
because of that, i wasn't much invested emotionally in
the romance

Wawa

Finally finished this after 3 months of hanging in mid-air and as I type this, my laptop battery is only 13% the last time I checked and my eyes are BURNING. Okay so, LNATTC yeah. I would give 4 stars out of 5. I love Lily and Kath but I gotta admit I don't sense that much chemistry of them and I personally think the story is getting a bit boring when you get to the middle of the story. There are some of parts that I don't think is necessary to put in but as I think it over, maybe it's for us the readers to know more about the history of Chinese immigrants back there. It's still a good read though, I enjoyed it and I love the fact that I kinda recalled my Mandarin lesson from school through here.

rita

wow! definitely did not leave as much of an impression on me as i expected it to.

 i definitely admired lily’s bravery and the part ab her fear that all her conversations with her mom would be like transactional was so on point. but i was also just begging her to lie so maybe she could live in peace. ending felt ??? idk. HOWEVER i feel like her relationship with race and kath being white would’ve been interesting, esp with all the info about it at the end. and her family was so heavily valued and i didn’t get why she ditched them ( and chinatown) for kath so easily. like she felt terrified at her dad’s papers being taken away only to… use her dad as a reason she shouldn’t lie ??? i don’t know. perhaps her values changed halfway through and i didn’t realize it but i felt it was obvious how important her family is to her ( also her aunt and mom’s perspectives were both included in the book which felt…forgettable) and then she just ?? doesn’t care??? i don’t know. i thought her and shirley and their relationship was well written and felt very realistic!!! 

setting was gorgeous too, made the story feel so real! i also really liked kath and lily’s relationship, made me so so happy i loved it!! 7hhduejiekdieje i don’t know what else.. i feel like i missed something from this book?? i’ll reread it hopefully! overall kinda forgettable but rly enjoyed reading about a chinese american lesbian :) 

also i finished reading at 3:33 which was cool!!

mirrorball- taylor swift

edit : definitely forgettable, hated the ending

Hershelle Villanueva

** spoiler alert **
           i shed a few tears during the last few chapters of the book and i am SO THANKFUL (!!!) for lily and kath's happy ending. the story was great but i'm only giving it 3 stars because some of the parts especially those during the beginning were quite boring to me, it felt dragging and i only started to get hooked during the last 30% of the book. also i hate shirley with all of my being honestly thank god she didn't win as miss chinatown lol n e ways this will probably be one of the few books i'll still think about from time to time <3

lissa

i sobbed like a little baby. i was on the edge of my seat and i deeply understood every burning, confusing thought lily had… and best of all i got stomach cramps and lightheaded at the cutest moments as if it was happening to me. 

i understand the necessity of the chapters from the adults’s perspectives so we can understand their actions later on but i got really mad when it took me out of the story so yea that is the only thing keeping this from a 5 probably!

Hannah

“ I didn’t make a mistake. You can ask me as many times as you want, but I’m not going to lie” 

this book is amazing, Lily is such an incredible and strong protagonist. I love how her confidence grows through the book AHHHH. Lily and Kath’s story is incredibly captivating and real. It’s imperfect and scary with everything they go through but they have each other and I think they’ll always be able to come back to each other , it’s so so good.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

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