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Writer's pictureMolly Souza

Last Night at the Telegraph Club -- Retro Romance

Updated: May 12, 2023


Last Night at the Telegraph Club Author: Malinda Lo. Date: 2021.

ISBN: 9780525555254.

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers.

Genre: Drama.

Reading Level: Grades 9-12.

Trailer: Lily Hu has never been a rebel. She does what she's told when she's told to do it. That is, until her first night at the Telegraph Club. Once she has a taste of freedom, of what she really wants, there is no looking back.


Most 17-year-olds are dying for a good chance to rebel. They look at every opportunity for trouble as a shiny golden toy beckoning their attention. Lily Hu, however, is not like most other 17-year-olds. If Lily could she wouldn't rebel at all. She would go to class, take care of her brothers, tend to her friends, nurture the Chinatown community, eventually become a rocket scientist, and live the rest of her life with the quiet ease of approval from her family. As she gets to know herself she realizes this ease might not be as she hoped. Everything would be perfect but there is one massive issue. Lily isn't looking at the boys in her grade like all her friends. She's looking at the girls.

From the outside Lily Hu probably does look perfect. She makes good grades at school, she is a great daughter, she's always around her friend Shirley who is a contestant for the Miss Chinatown competition. On the inside Lily is waging a battle against herself. On one side she is upset and confused about her feelings, but on the other side she is so sure of her feelings it hurts. Why wouldn't she be confused, ya know? Sometimes she is seeing people who are attracted to the same sex as heroines in books, but on the other she is seeing queer spaces being raided by police. Navigating the expectations of her family, culture, and county can she find her way to her true self? Not without a little help from her friends and a couple nights at the Telegraph Club.


This book takes place in Chinatown in San Francisco, California. Check out this song written about this iconic spot:


Chinatown in SF is one of the largest Chinatowns in the world. Here are some photos from Chinatown in the 1950s (aka when this book takes place).

Photo credit: Sharona Jacobs via www.malindalo.com/about

Created by: Malinda Lo is an all-around badass. From being an award winning author to an advocate for queer people, Lo knocks it out of the park every time. Living in Massachusetts with her wife and dog, Malinda writes about queer youth from different backgrounds (About Malinda Lo). As a member of the queer community herself, Malinda approaches her work with authority and respect.


Analysis: I am not a romance person. Like, at all. I much prefer gritty stories of crime and murder and mayhem over a sickly-sweet love story. I was surprised at how easily and wholly I fell in love with this book and the characters in it. From a literary standpoint, this is a perfectly crafted novel. The reader gets just enough of the character's internal thoughts and feelings to feel connected to them while still being able to place themselves in the character's shoes. Lo masterfully creates a clear cultural context for the main characters. Even if a reader came into this story with little-to-no knowledge of Asian-American culture they would quickly pick up the aspects that are important to this story. The main character, Lily Hu, is a woman who I have very little in common with on paper but I found myself relating to her so deeply. Part of that relatability stems from the authentic portrayal of young Queerness. Anyone in the Queer community could relate to the main character's experience with processing her identity. Outside of the Queer community, readers will relate to Lily's struggle to balance her desire to please the people around her and the need to be herself.

Sometimes in Queer stories it feels like pain and rejection are emphasized over the positive aspects of being Queer. I think Last Night at the Telegraph Club offers a healthy mix of the two. On one hand, Lily is dealing with 1950s American culture that is famously unkind to everyone besides straight white dudes. On the other hand, she is falling in love with herself and her new identity and a woman all at once which is a beautiful experience. The narrative balances those two aspects well, leaving the reader informed but not totally depressed. Sometimes YA books can go a bit over-the-top with the "and they all lived happily ever after" which can feel unrealistic and sickly-sweet. This book avoids that mistake but still leaves readers hopeful for the future.

I love a book that can sneak in historical information without hitting the reader over the head with a barrage of cold, hard facts. Lo masterfully weaves the narrative with important historical context without the book feeling too much like a history lesson. I had a lot of fun reading about the different outfits people in different communities wore during that time. Similarly, it was interesting to learn about the gay club raids in this narrative context.


In the Library: At the Carrie Fisher Public Library we do not tolerate homophobia or transphobia so we would be more than willing to sponsor a Drag King and Queen night. Performers would be hired, but there could be an invitation for teens interested in the art forms to perform as well. In between songs the performers could discuss their experiences with coming out and navigating queer communities and spaces. These discussion would include queer experiences in the past and hopes for queer people in the future.


Potential Issues: With the amount of people who think libraries exist to encourage children to be gay and do crimes, there might be an issue with the queerness of this book. To that we say, "take a look at our collection policy" and move it along. There is nothing innately inappropriate about this book, drag performers, or queerness!


Reason for Inclusion: Last Night at the Telegraph Club is included in this collection because it is a beautiful coming-of-age AND coming out story about an Asian-American woman. There are many diverse backgrounds and experiences discussed in this book that readers will learn not only about the world in the 1950s, but about themselves as well. The main characters strength and grace is inspiring to all.


Sources:

About Malinda Lo. (n.d). Malinda Lo. https://www.malindalo.com/about


Last Night at the Telegraph Club. (n.d.). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35224992-last-night-at-the-telegraph-club


The Mills Brothers - Topic. (2015, February 24). Chinatown, my chinatown. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOFS7DIE6l


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