Yellowface By Rebecca F. Kuang

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is a provocative exploration of cultural appropriation, privilege, and the cutthroat nature of the publishing industry. The story follows June Hayward, a struggling white writer who seizes an opportunity to claim the unpublished manuscript of her late friend, Athena Liu, a celebrated Asian-American author. Rebranding herself and Athena’s work as her own, June achieves literary success but is haunted by questions of authenticity, ethics, and identity. As the truth threatens to unravel, the novel delves into themes of racism, tokenism, and the power dynamics shaping who gets to tell whose stories. Witty and incisive, it’s a sharp critique of creativity and exploitation.