Yellowface

June Hayward was supposed to share the limelight as a promising new author alongside Athena Liu—yet it's Athena who's hailed as the literary sensation, while June remains shrouded in obscurity, pondering whether tales of an ordinary white girl have any allure. In an unexpected twist of fate, June becomes the sole witness to Athena's tragic demise. Seizing the moment, June surreptitiously claims Athena's final work—a groundbreaking narrative on the overlooked deeds of Chinese workers during the Great War. June's gambit includes altering Athena's manuscript and passing it off to her agent as her original creation. Assuming the identity of Juniper Song, she even adopts an ethnically vague persona to match the narrative she's now selling. Her justification? The story's importance transcends the storyteller's identity—a notion seemingly validated by the bestseller list. But the specter of Athena lingers, and as evidence mounts, June finds herself entangled in a web of her own deceit. In her frantic efforts to safeguard her ill-gotten fame, June uncovers the depths of her own ambition and the lengths she'll go to preserve her illusive accolades. Narrated in a captivating first-person voice, "Yellowface" delves deep into the contentious issues of identity, cultural theft, and the isolating effects of the digital age. R.F. Kuang presents a narrative that is as sharp as it is current, crafted with an acuity that makes it irresistibly compelling.

$27.99*