Synopsis:
1940s Hong Kong
When Japanese soldiers invade her hometown, Ha Yut Ying makes an unlikely escape—by turning invisible. But her miraculous survival is only the beginning. After the war is over, she’s sent to Hong Kong to live with her distant father and glamorous stepmother, who end her dreams of becoming a singer and turn her into the family’s servant. As the years pass, Yut Ying learns the hard truths of betrayal and ambition, of forbidden love and devastating loss, and discovers that sometimes the only way to endure is to disappear.
1960s San Francisco
Marigold has always had a knack for uncovering secrets, but nothing prepares her for the day she accidentally witnesses her mother vanish before her eyes. The moment fractures their bond, leaving questions that shadow her entire childhood. But when her mother’s condition suddenly deteriorates, Marigold is convinced she’s the only person who can save her. To do so, she must journey into the secrets her mother never shared and uncover the tragic, fairytale-tinged history their family has fought to forget.
A story of mothers and daughters, the scars they inherit and the magic that binds them, Fishbone Cinderella is a tender and enchanting exploration of what it means, at last, to be seen.
My Review:
This ended up being a beautiful story about forgiveness and family healing. But I did almost give up reading it. I’m familiar with Elizabeth Lim for her Young Adult fantasy novels, which I have adored. So this was was a bit disappointing for me, but the story itself turns out to be well worth reading.
Content warning: Multiple f bombs, which I was not prepared for. One case of using the Lord’s name as a swear, and one spicy scene. (It left out graphic details though, but was more than I care to read.)
I received and ARC from the publisher.
Roxbury Books 