Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Malinda Lo's National Book Award-winning novel, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, is a gripping historical fiction for young adults, set in 1954 San Francisco. It follows Lily Hu, a Chinese American teenager, as she explores her burgeoning queer identity and falls in love with a classmate, Kathleen Miller. The narrative is richly layered with the historical context of the Red Scare, which threatens Lily's father with deportation, and the vibrant, yet dangerous, underground lesbian community of the era. Meticulously researched, the book offers a poignant exploration of self-discovery, first love, and the courage required to live authentically in a restrictive society. It's an important read for teens aged 12-18, providing historical representation of LGBTQ+ experiences and the challenges faced by Chinese Americans during a tumultuous period.

With the threat of deportation looming over her father--in spite of his hard-won citizenship and disavowal of Communism--seventeen-year-old American-born Chinese Lily Hu pursues a relationship with her Caucasian classmate Kath. Includes author's note.