When Sleeping Women Wake

In her memorable debut novel, Yin expertly weaves together the stories of three Chinese women seeking to survive the Japanese occupation during WWII. The Tang family flees Shanghai for Hong Kong in 1938. Among them are Wei, his concubine, his wife Mingzhu, her maid and lifelong companion Biyu, and Mingzhu’s daughter, Qiang. Though Mingzhu lives in a wealthy household, Wei is prone to anger and physically abuses her. She finds solace in the love of books instilled in her by her scholarly father and in seeking stolen moments of happiness with her daughter’s British tutor, Henry Beaumont. When the Japanese invade Hong Kong, Biyu and Qiang escape to the home of a family friend in the mountains and find work at a factory, while Mingzhu works as a personal secretary for a Japanese official. The three women each participate in resistance efforts: Qiang moves to a resistance camp and learns how to fight; Biyu puts hyacinth pollen in the clothing of Japanese soldiers, causing them to develop rashes and fall ill; and Mingzhu sends encrypted messages to the resistance. Yin expertly brings to life each character, highlighting their varied perspectives on how to survive the Japanese occupation and revealing their love for one another and hopes to reunite. This strikes a chord. Agent: Rebecca Wearmouth, PFD Literary. (June)