This greatly anticipated novel just came out in May, and will be a big hit this summer, and going forward. Juniper Song Hayward and Athena Liu were classmates together at Yale, dreaming of success as authors. Chinese American Athena’s star rises swiftly, achieving each dream in breath-taking speed; while June’s dream lifts briefly, only to sputter out. Athena remains in touch with June, sharing her successes, making June feel increasingly insecure, left behind, and only serving as Athen’s appreciative audience. One dreadful night, after a fun evening of drinking and going back to Athena’s apartment for more drinking and pancakes, Athen accidently chokes to death, June helpless to save her life. We next learn one small deed June performs— she steals a completed draft manuscript sitting on Athena’s desk.

With June narrating, we go on a wild ride as she secures an agent, a book deal, and lives the life she feels she always deserved, but was somehow denied. June faces extraordinary backlash from the Asian community, both writers and readers, at the audacity of a white woman to write an historical fiction novel about Chinese laborers in World War One. The publisher insists she release the book using her first and middle names, Juniper Song, although she is roasted for attempting to appear Asian. Kuang takes June on a long treacherous ride, experiencing the highs and lows of publishing, made so much worse by social media.

It is ironic that Kuang is telling this story through the eyes of a white female protagonist who, while doing truly despicable things to get the literary fame she craves, also suffers greatly for it. The near-miss discoveries of her deceit are a roller coaster ride, as we know this could not possibly end well for June. Kuang delivers a bit of a surprise ending, with an added surprise at the end. The debate over cultural appropriation, just who is entitled to share whose history, and write about whose perspectives, is a hot debate right now. The poisonous nature of social media, and its power to harm people in anonymous, unwarranted ways, is fully described here very effectively.

Book clubs will enjoy this one, loaded with great debate fodder and sharp takedowns and counterattacks. It looks like the publishing world is as messed up as the political world. Kuang’s is a great contribution to the conversation.