Yellowface | R. F. Kuang

Yellowface

Extended Synopsis

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. However, while Athena became a literary darling, June faded into obscurity. When June witnesses Athena's tragic death in a freak accident, she acts on a shocking impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel detailing the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I. Rationalizing that the history deserves to be told regardless of the teller, June edits the manuscript and submits it to her agent as her own original work.

Embracing her newfound success, she allows her publisher to rebrand her as "Juniper Song," complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo. The book skyrockets to the top of the New York Times bestseller list, granting June the fame she has always coveted. But she cannot escape Athena's looming shadow. As emerging evidence on social media threatens to expose her devastating secret, June must race to protect her fabricated identity, discovering exactly how far she is willing to go—and how many white lies she is willing to tell—to keep what she believes she deserves.

Intended Audience

This novel is highly recommended for readers who crave sharp, dark satire, psychological thrillers, and contemporary literary fiction. Anyone fascinated by the inner workings of the publishing industry, metafictional commentary on the terrifying alienation of social media, and incisive explorations of cultural appropriation will find this book entirely unputdownable.

Author Biography

R. F. Kuang is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History. Known for her brilliant, razor-sharp prose and profound thematic depth, Kuang has cemented her reputation as a formidable talent in modern fiction, effortlessly transitioning between epic fantasy and biting contemporary satire.

Accolades & Recognition

• Fiction Book of the Year 2024 at the British Book Awards.
• #1 Sunday Times Bestseller and #5 New York Times Bestseller.
• Named Foyle's Fiction Book of the Year and an Amazon Book of the Year.
• Praised by Stephen King as "Hard to put down. Harder to forget."
• Described by Elizabeth Day as "Breathtakingly clever on jealousy, talent, success, and who gets to tell which story."

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