PRAISE
★ "Finally, the intersectional, lesbian, historical teen novel so many readers have been waiting for... Beautifully written historical fiction about giddy, queer, first love."
— Kirkus
★ “Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a work of historical fiction that’s as meticulously researched as it is full of raw, authentic emotion. … Shout it from the highest hills: This is a beautiful, brave story, and Lily is a heroine that readers will love.”
— BookPage
★ “Writing beautifully with a knowing, gentle hand that balances Lily’s unease and courage, Lo presents a must-read love story in an uncommon setting: the midcentury queer Bay Area at a time when racism, homophobia, and McCarthyism held tight grips on the citizenry. The author’s notes are a wealth of historical information and discuss the seed from which this alternately heart-wrenching and satisfying story grew.”
— Booklist
★ “Smoothly referencing cultural touchstones and places with historic Chinese American significance, Lo conjures 1950s San Francisco adeptly while transcending historicity through a sincere exploration of identity and love.”
— Publishers Weekly
★ "This immersive, powerful coming-of-age novel tackles perceptions, expectations, and identity while sweeping readers into smoky lesbian nightclubs and '50s culture."
— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
★ “A riveting, emotionally stirring tale. … Last Night at the Telegraph Club—focused on unapologetically embracing one's true self—is a spectacular addition to the young adult historical fiction genre.”
— Shelf Awareness
★ “This standout work of historical fiction combines meticulous research with tender romance to create a riveting bildungsroman. San Francisco, ‘with its steep stairways and sudden glimpses of the bay between tall, narrow buildings,’ is almost a character itself.”
— The Horn Book
★ “Historically accurate and well-researched… Lily is a brave character who is not afraid to be herself and whose portrayal will strike an emotional connection with the reader. This book is the perfect mix of historical fiction and a look back at the decades of hardships the LGBTQ community has had to endure before today.”
— School Library Connection
“Lush, ambitious and layered, Malinda Lo’s sweeping historical novel is the queer romance we’ve been waiting for.”
— Ms. Magazine
"[A] beautifully written look at the relationship between love and politics."
— Bitch Media
“Lo’s writing, restrained yet luscious, shimmers with the thrills of youthful desire. A lovely, memorable novel about listening to the whispers of a wayward heart and claiming a place in the world.”
— Sarah Waters, international bestselling and award-winning author of Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch
“Exquisite and heart-shattering, Last Night at the Telegraph Club made me ache with wishing. This book is for anyone who has ever loved–in any sense of the word.”
— Emily X.R. Pan, New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After
“Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club is an instant classic, the finest LGBTQIA+ romance I’ve read in ages. Lo has lovingly re-created 1950s San Francisco and made me feel as though I’d lived there, and her depiction of first love felt so real that I experienced it in long-since-forgotten corners of my own heart.”
— Bill Konigsberg, award-winning author of The Music of What Happens and The Bridge
“Malinda Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a beautifully observed story about finding love and fighting for one’s identity against tremendous odds. In bringing a fascinating chapter of history to vivid life, this novel illuminates a path to the future through a careful understanding of our past. It’s vivid, emotional, and hopeful. I loved it.”
— Abdi Nazemian, author of Stonewall Honor Book Like a Love Story
“Malinda Lo turns her masterful talent toward an under-covered period of San Francisco history. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is by turns gut-wrenching, utterly compelling, and deeply tender. I loved Lily fiercely, and you will too.”
— Rebecca Kim Wells, author of Shatter the Sky
“Lo has really outdone herself here. I don’t think I can overstate how refreshing it is to read queer historical fiction that is so complex, nuanced, and tender. It’s my opinion that this book will quickly become a new touchstone of the genre of queer literature. What an accomplishment.”
— Sarah Gailey, award-winning author of Magic for Liars and Upright Women Wanted
“Oh, what a wonderful novel this is! For all who ever dared to want more, much more, from life—a beautifully sensitive love story, with telling historic detail.”
— Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar-nominated Maggie Hope series
“A sweeping and romantic page-turner, the heart of this rich and ambitious historical novel is a love story that thrums with passion and self-discovery.”
— Laura Ruby, two-time National Book Award Finalist and Printz Award winning author of Bone Gap
“A lovely, affirming, layered, and deft coming-of-queer-age novel.”
— New York Times bestselling author Kate Elliott
“Lily is my favorite kind of heroine: observant, loving, and startlingly brave. Malinda Lo is my favorite kind of writer, one who can bring a scene to life with exquisite detail and nuance. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a triumph. It is the queer novel I wish I had read as a teenager, and feel lucky to have read now.”
—Marie Rutkoski, New York Times bestselling author of The Winner's Trilogy
