‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’ by Malinda Lo

Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to have nothing keeping you attached to the ground?

‘Last Night at the Telegraph Club’ by Malinda Lo is set in 1950s San Francisco, primarily in Chinatown. The story follows Lily, a Chinese-American teenager who slowly begins to understand her sexuality.

Lily is a good Chinese girl. She studies hard. Her mother buys her sensible clothes. Because she is a good girl. In the middle of the ‘Red Scare,’ Lily and her Chinese-American friends are becoming young adults.

However, Lily recognizes that something about her is different. While she dreams of space exploration and travel, she also tries to understand herself.

This YA novel isn't just for young adults. It's a sweet, rather drama-free story about a young girl navigating gender, sexuality, race, and politics.

CW: queerphobia, racism and xenophobia, miscarriage, misogyny and sexist attitudes, emotional and physical abuse, police raids and surveillance, death of a parent