In Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, best-selling author Athena Liu dies and author Juniper Song Hayward steals the notes for Athena’s next novel. Midlist author June Hayward reinvents herself as Juniper Song, and, using those purloined notes writes “her own” best seller, The Last Front. The Last Front is about the Chinese Labour Corps in WWI. Juniper Song is white. Athena Liu is Asian. Juniper Song stirs up controversy like The Help and American Dirt (actual books about people of color written by white authors). Yellowface explores appropriation, plagiarism, and publishing in general.
While Yellowface explores the appropriation issues raised by The Help and American Dirt, these issues are complicated because Juniper Song stole the idea and notes for The Last Front from Anthena Liu. Junie uses the appropriation arguments to deflect her detractors from her plagiarism. In addition to plagiarism and appropriation, Junie accuses Athena of stealing because she includes real incidents with real people in her writing, raising the general question of where writers get their inspiration.
The book includes so many details about the world of publishing, including advances, royalties, editors, book tours, publicity, contracts, agents, blogs, Barnes and Noble, independent bookstores, signed copies, Kirkus, New York Times, and a range of different reviewers. I wonder what non-writers think about all this.
While the issues of appropriation, plagiarism, and inspiration are important, Junie complicates them with her self-serving rationalization and increasing mental instability. In the end, I felt the book was an exciting roller coaster ride, but like a roller coaster, it didn’t go anywhere.
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