ofpagesandprint | Fishbone Cinderella: A Novel
Fishbone Cinderella: A Novel
Author: Elizabeth Lim
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A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate.
“Lim dazzles in her dark and deftly woven adult debut. . . . Blending the historically grounded and complex mother-daughter narratives of Amy Tan with the rich fantasy of Yangsze Choo, this stunning tale will delight. . . . This is a gem.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
1940s Hong Kong
When Japanese soldiers invade her hometown, Ha Yut Ying makes an unlikely escape—by turning invisible. But her miraculous survival is only the beginning. After the war is over, she’s sent to Hong Kong to live with her distant father and glamorous stepmother, who end her dreams of becoming a singer and turn her into the family’s servant. As the years pass, Yut Ying learns the hard truths of betrayal and ambition, of forbidden love and devastating loss, and discovers that sometimes the only way to endure is to disappear.
1960s San Francisco
Marigold has always had a knack for uncovering secrets, but nothing prepares her for the day she accidentally witnesses her mother vanish before her eyes. The moment fractures their bond, leaving questions that shadow her entire childhood. But when her mother’s condition suddenly deteriorates, Marigold is convinced she’s the only person who can save her. To do so, she must journey into the secrets her mother never shared and uncover the tragic, fairytale-tinged history their family has fought to forget.
A story of mothers and daughters, the scars they inherit and the magic that binds them, Fishbone Cinderella is a tender and enchanting exploration of what it means, at last, to be seen.
“Elizabeth Lim’s heart-wrenching and magical first adult novel is a multi-generational story that adapts a foundational fairy tale and creates a story of mothers, daughters, and a past that haunts their futures.” —Library Journal (starred review)
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Upcoming AANHPI Books on My TBR!
With a little over a week left in May, I wanted to share some of the incredible AANHPI stories on my TBR to continue celebrating AANHPI voices all year long!
- Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow - Two scholars of magical veterinary science must put aside their lust and loathing to save the world in the first installment of this whimsical, romantic, dark academia duology.
- For No Mortal Creature by Keshe Chow - In this romantic, gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights, a teen girl with the power to move between life and death must journey into the afterlife. But to survive, she’ll need the help of her two sworn enemies—both dangerously captivating, both hiding secrets that could destroy her.
- Unfinished Business by Clare Osongo - In this funny, warmly chaotic tale of love, a floundering office worker discovers her mother's ghost is trapped in the company Slack server, and must free her by resolving her own troubled love life.
- The Revenant of Surolifia by Florence Chien - A gripping political fantasy of empire, identity, and impossible choices, where rebellion blazes in the streets, loyalty is a double-edged sword, and the price of peace may be too steep to pay.
- Witch Daughter by Tanaz Bhathena - Award-winning author Tanaz Bhathena expertly weaves a tale of love and loss in ancient Persia with her take on the timeless tragedy of Tahmineh, a temptress, a witch, a victim, or, perhaps, a woman trying her hardest to protect her loved ones.
- Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari - A fierce Indian queen must defend her country against both the colonizing monsters attacking from the sea and the cowardly manipulations of a neighboring king—who happens to be her husband.
- Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang - The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever.