A mother and daughter must break their family’s curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate.
Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim
Published by Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore; July 28, 2026
Genres: Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Retellings | Young Adult | Romance | China
Pages: 448 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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T/W: Child Abuse, War, Child Loss, Miscarriage, Murder, Verbal Abuse, Heartbreak, Neglect
Rated: Young Adult, Adult
★★★★☆ | 4.5 / 5
Summary
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 mother 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
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for allowing me to read this amazing story.
This was more than just a story. This was a glimpse into the past, a life that once was. Experiences told through generations. Elizabeth Lim did a wonderful job portraying her story, with a hint of whimsy and magic inspired by tales and retellings of Cinderella. The reader is taken back to a time that was fraught with tension, and war. It was a different world during the war.
My heart ached while reading this. We are taken through the life of Helen/Yut Ying, the trials and tribulations she went through and suffered. We are brought to the present with her daughter, Marigold. Both past and present are linked in a clever manner, that it brings the story whole.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Elizabeth Lim has a wonderful writing style that is easy to read but filled with impact. There was a good pace to the story, and the lives portrayed were simply realistic. The conclusion to the story was satisfying. However, there was one scene that I think was a bit off-putting and didn’t make sense in the scheme of things, how it was played out (I don’t want to add any spoilers about it!). I hope this is adjusted for the final version when this novel is officially published.
Overall, I would recommend it to everyone. This has just enough magic to satisfy those who enjoy fantasy novels, but is realistic enough to be relevant to those who enjoy reading novels based on real life.
★★★★☆ | 4.5 / 5
