Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Malinda Lo

Penguin Young Readers Group · Print & ebook · January 19, 2021

A Historical Fiction pick for readers exploring Last Night at the Telegraph Club.

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Who it’s for
A reflective, conversation-friendly read with clear emotional pull and a historical frame.
Genres
YA Lesbian, Asian American YA, Historical YA Romance
Published
Penguin Young Readers Group, January 19, 2021

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About this book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND STONEWALL BOOK AWARD • From acclaimed author Malinda Lo comes a gripping, tender coming-of-age novel exploring identity, queerness, and historical upheaval set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the 1950s.

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“Lush, ambitious and layered, Malinda Lo’s sweeping historical novel is the queer romance we’ve been waiting for.”—Ms. Magazine 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. Meticulously researched, emotionally stirring, and startlingly brave, Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a standout work of historical fiction that has taken the world by storm. Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature • A Michael L. Printz Honor Book • A We Need Diverse Books Walter Dean Myers Honor Book • A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist • A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century

Why This Clicks

A reflective, conversation-friendly read with clear emotional pull and a historical frame.

Come here for

  • book-club discussion fuel
  • warm historical YA romance

Expect

  • romance-forward pacing
  • room to talk after

Where it sits

YA Lesbian90%
Historical YA Romance48%
Asian American YA43%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA LGBTQ+
  • Asian American YA
  • Historical YA Romance
Authors
Malinda Lo
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
January 19, 2021
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
YA LGBTQ+