Described as ‘a satirical literary thriller that’s enjoyable and uncomfortable in equal measure’ by The New York Times, Asian American author Rebecca F Kuang’s Yellowface has generated a fair amount of critical discussion around race, diversity and who gets to tell a story.
Yellowface is told from the perspective of June Hayward, a ‘basic white girl’ who has always felt as if she has had the short end of the stick compared to her friend Athena Liu – the literary world’s new bae who checks all the right boxes for racial diversity, talent and charisma. With Liu’s career cut short by an unfortunate death, Hayward is left with her unfinished manuscript aware it is bound to be the next bestseller.
