I can’t remember reading a work of fiction where bits of prose took me out of the story as often as happened while reading Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Not so much in the first half of the book, parts of which I think are not only well-crafted but cleverly address contemporary social issues like ethnic and racial identity and representation, as well as provide a behind-the-veil peek into the workings of the publishing industry, where authors are brands and books must be packaged and marketed and slotted in the perfect niche to have any hope of penetrating the fickle consumer market. The “best” books are rarely bestsellers, but a mediocre book with an irresistible hook, by someone with a notable personal story, can be turned into a bestseller with enough marketing and advertising and social media clout. Publishers and editors decide if a book has the elusive “It” factor worthy of investment based on a host of factors beyond literary merit.
The first part of Yellowface lays out how June Hayward, a struggling and virtually unknown writer with a single book to her credit, becomes Juniper Song, the acclaimed author of The Last Front, a novel about Chinese laborers on the western front in the First World War. The history is almost unknown outside the Chinese diaspora. So, how does June pull it off, to what extremes is she willing to go to achieve what she imagines is the ideal life for a young, single, Ivy League graduate obsessed with fame, money, and literary immortality? Will she appropriate the work of the deceased Athena Liu, someone she considers a friend, add her talent to the core idea, background research and narrative framework, and pass off the end product as her own creation? Even if she’s not Chinese like Athena?
She will. Spurred by lust for the perfect life she thought Athena Liu enjoyed, she presents The Last Front under the name Juniper Song, which misdirects some people into thinking she’s Asian. Juniper Song carries more mystery than June Hayward, conjuring an exotic image, though to be fair, June’s middle name is Song, and it’s not a crime to publish under a pseudonym. Besides, June did the work, she put the flesh on the bones, right? “The Last Front, written as Juniper Song, symbolizes a step forward in my creative journey.”