Bibliographic Information:
Title: Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Author: Malinda Lo
ISBN: 978-1-529-36658-7
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Copyright Date: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction, romance
Format: Print book
Awards or Honors: 2021 National Book Award in Young People’s Literature, Stonewall Book Award, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Walter Dean Myers Honor Book, and Printz Honor Book (among many others!)
Reading Level/Interest Level: 14+
Plot Summary: It’s San Francisco in 1954; Joseph McCarthy’s influence is waning, but the Red Scare isn’t over yet. The Stonewall Uprising hasn’t happened yet. And the Chinese Exclusion Act has been repealed, but it still leaves a bitter taste. 17-year-old Lily Hu’s parents want her to be a dutiful Chinese-American daughter, doing well in school and staying away from boys. Which is fine, because Lily loves school and wants to work at the Jet Propulsion Lab like her Aunt Judy, and … she doesn’t really like any boys at school anyway.
Lily isn’t like the other girls she knows; she’s far more interested in rockets and outer space than lipstick and the latest fashions. But her pulse races a little when she sees the women at the Miss Chinatown Contest, or when Kath, the only other girl in her advanced math class, sits next to her. She and Kath start spending more and more time together, and one day, Kath offers to take her to see Tommy Andrews, a male impersonator at the Telegraph Club. Is Lily brave enough to sneak out of her house and follow her heart?
Author Background: Malinda Lo was born in China, and immigrated to the United States when she was a young kid. She has a masters in East Asian Studies from Harvard, a masters in cultural anthropology from Stanford, and worked as a journalist specializing in LGBTQ stories for many years before writing her first novel (Lo, n.d.). Her bestselling books have won many awards and accolades. She lives in Massachusetts with her wife and their dog.
Critical Evaluation: This book plunges you into mid-century San Francisco, swirling with both fog and fear. The narrative jumps around in time, adding nuance to the portrayal of Lily’s mother and aunt and the realities Asian women faced. While not first-person, the writing reflects Lily’s restrained and analytical mind. The pacing is measured and steady, but also manages to convey the throbs of emotion and desire Lily feels as she comes into herself. The book is meticulously researched and comes with extensive notes about the history and groups represented as well as a selected bibliography.
Creative Use for a Library Program: This is the perfect book for a book club discussion or multi-part workshop (educator resources here). Have participants note what they think they know about the 1950s before they start reading. Afterwards, have them reflect on time periods and people they feel are underrepresented by historical fiction.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Lily Hu never meant to keep secrets from her parents. But it’s San Francisco in 1954, and falling in love with another girl is something that has to live in the shadows. Or does it?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: It was challenged in 2022 in Keller School District, Texas for unknown reasons, although it’s not hard to guess them (Lo, 2022). Fortunately the challenger declined to show up at the hearing and the book was not removed. Despite including a love scene, it’s not particularly graphic, so any complaint would be because it’s a scene between two girls. I would happily argue that this is an important story that needs telling, an excellent historical novel, and that libraries are for all readers.
Reason for Inclusion: This is a powerful evocation of young love, a meticulously researched portrayal of a moment in history, and a much-needed representation of a young, queer Asian woman.
Want more? Malinda Lo put together a fabulous Spotify playlist of 1950s tunes for you:
References
Lo, M. (n.d.). About Malinda Lo. Retrieved from https://www.malindalo.com/about
Lo, M. (March 2, 2022). An update on book bands in the US. Retrieved from https://www.malindalo.com/blog/2022/3/2/an-update-on-book-bans-in-the-us
Kirkus (December 1, 2020). Last night at the Telegraph Club [review]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/malinda-lo/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club/
Penguin Classroom (n.d.) Last night at the Telegraph Club. Retrieved from https://penguinclassroom.com/books/last-night-at-the-telegraph-club/
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