When Sleeping Women Wake
A Novel
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
In this remarkable and harrowing debut novel, three extraordinary women—a mother, her daughter, and their maid—are each forced on a journey of survival during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II.
WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN INDIE BOOK AWARDS • LONGLISTED FOR THE ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE READERS CHOICE AWARD
“A lushly romantic and impassioned story of women’s agency and resilience.”—Juhea Kim, internationally bestselling author of Beasts of a Little Land and City of Night Birds
1941. Following the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, the wealthy Tang family has settled in Hong Kong, believing it to be protected under British occupation. As the First Wife of the family, Mingzhu leads a glamorous, if at times lonely, existence—mothering the son of her husband’s concubine, overseeing her daughter Qiang’s education, and directing their household of servants, including her long-time confidante, Biyu.
But when the Japanese invade Hong Kong, the paths of Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu wildly diverge. Although Mingzhu’s affinity for languages spares her from physical labor, she finds herself coerced to either work for the enemy or face certain death. Qiang and Biyu scrape through days of factory work and meager food supplies, constantly on the run from newly unfolding dangers until an encounter with the East River Column resistance fighters separates them. The longer these women become embroiled in the brutal occupation that engulfs the region, the more determined they are to fight back—but can they support the resistance and still find their way back to one another?
At once monumental and intimate, When Sleeping Women Wake powerfully explores how ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things, and the unwavering hope that love can carry us through even the darkest of times.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
