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Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
2 of 5 copies available
"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.
*This audiobook includes a PDF of the bibliography and acknowledgments from the book.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
January 19, 2021 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593341650
- File size: 358194 KB
- Duration: 12:26:14
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 900
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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Starred review from January 25, 2021
The year is 1954, and American-born Chinese 17-year-old Lily Hu, a rising senior at San Francisco’s Galileo High School, discovers the existence of the Telegraph Club nightclub by chance: via an ad in the Chronicle featuring a Male Impersonator. Lily secretly gathers photos of women with masculine qualities; she’s drawn toward “unfeminine” clothing and interests such as chemistry, engines, and space. Dawning recognition of her lesbianism comes alongside a budding connection with Kathleen Miller, a white classmate. But openly exploring queerness isn’t an option—not with her mother touting “respectability,” and society’s limited perception of Chinese-Americanness as either “China doll” or “real American”-adjacent, and especially not amid McCarthyism—during which Chinese people, including those within Lily’s close Chinatown community, are targeted as Communist sympathizers. As Lily falls deeper in love, though, she must work to balance the shifting elements of her identity with a landscape of sociopolitical turmoil that will resonate with contemporary readers. Lo incorporates Chinese food and language, appending explanatory footnotes for romanized Cantonese and Mandarin terms and characters. Smoothly referencing cultural touchstones and places with historic Chinese American significance, Lo conjures 1950s San Francisco adeptly while transcending historicity through a sincere exploration of identity and love. Back matter includes an author’s note explaining Lo’s personal connection to the story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. -
Emily Woo Zeller's melodic narration transports listeners to 1950s San Francisco in this coming-of-age novel about family, first love, and a Chinese-American teenager discovering herself. When Lily sees an ad for a show featuring a male impersonator, she feels a prick of recognition she doesn't fully understand. Soon she's sneaking out for heady nights at the Telegraph Club and falling for her friend Kath. Zeller's narration is pitch-perfect--from the husky voice of male impersonator Tommy Andrews to the shrill disapproval of Lily's best friend, Shirley. As Lily becomes more comfortable in her own skin, Zeller's narration becomes bolder and more confident. Full of characters, places, and moments that Zeller beautifully brings to life, this audiobook will break your heart and mend it. L.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from February 1, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Chinese American Lily lives in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s and chafes against the societal and family norms enforced on her. When she gets to know Kath, a classmate whom she had never paid attention to before, her world opens up in unexpected ways. Together the 17-year-old girls visit a risqu� nightclub and discover new friends and ideas. Political tensions from the 1950s-communism and McCarthyism, racial discrimination, and homophobia-color the audio with authenticity and a deeper historical meaning. Read by Emily Woo Zeller, who narrates in a quiet, restrained way, the audio immerses listeners in Lily's world. Zeller voices each character distinctly and with personality. Lily's confusion and angst as she tries to balance this new way of life with her traditional upbringing and familial expectations are performed with compassion. Historical time lines and flashbacks to Lily's parents as teens appear throughout. A lengthy author's note completes the well-researched recording, with historical context and the author's personal ties to the story. VERDICT Highly recommended. This 2021 YA National Book Award winner does not disappoint.-Julie Paladino
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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