The Fox Wife, by Yangsze Choo

Welcome back to our English-speaking book club!
This event is free and open to everyone! All you need to do is to read the book, and show up with your thoughts, feelings, and curiosity. 😊

The Book

Manchuria, 1908.
In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach—until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can’t escape the curse that afflicts them—their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family’s luck seems to change—or does it?

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all she’s a mother seeking vengeance for her lost child. Hunting a murderer, she will follow the trail from northern China to Japan, while Bao follows doggedly behind. Navigating the myths and misconceptions of fox spirits, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo brilliantly explores a world of mortals and spirits, humans and beasts, and their dazzling intersection. Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depths of maternal love, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.

The Author

Yangsze Choo is a Malaysian writer known for weaving folklore, history, and the supernatural into beautifully atmospheric novels. Born in Malaysia and later educated at Harvard University, she has lived and worked in various Asian countries, an experience that deeply informs the cultural richness of her stories.

Choo’s writing is celebrated for its lush world-building, graceful prose, and the way it brings Southeast Asian mythology to a global audience. She currently lives in California and is known for her engaging, humorous notes about her love for food, history, and the writing process.