June Hayward and Athena Liu were once considered twin rising stars: both attended Yale in the same year and made their publishing debuts simultaneously. However, Athena quickly became a literary sensation with her cross-genre masterpieces, while June’s work struggled to gain recognition. June couldn’t help but believe that her stories about basic white girls were unappealing to the masses.
Tragedy strikes when June witnesses Athena’s untimely death in a freak accident. Fueled by impulse, she makes a bold decision: she steals Athena’s recently completed experimental novel, which sheds light on the overlooked contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.
In a daring move, June edits Athena’s novel and submits it to her agent as her own creation. She even adopts the pseudonym “Juniper Song” and allows her new publisher to market her with an ambiguously ethnic author photo. To June, the story’s significance outweighs any ethical concerns about authorship. The book achieves immense success, reaching the New York Times bestseller list.
However, June struggles to escape Athena’s shadow, and mounting evidence threatens to expose her deceitful act of literary appropriation. As the stakes escalate, June finds herself grappling with the lengths she’s willing to go to protect what she believes she deserves.
Narrated in a captivating first-person voice, Yellowface tackles crucial questions about diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, particularly within the publishing industry. The novel sheds light on the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society. R. F. Kuang delivers a timely, incisive, and engaging read that delves into pertinent societal issues.
