Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021) Malinda Lo

Set in San Francisco, mostly in 1954-1955

I frequently try to start a book not knowing anything about it. It keeps me from having preconceived notions and all that.

But once in awhile I start a book and realize it’s not what I thought it was.

I was in the mood for a mystery or fantasy.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood for a YA coming of age romance.

The class was officially about preparing for life after high school, but it was widely known to be an easy A that involved watching a lot of filmstrips about etiquette and dating.

“We’ll be covering three major units,” Miss Weiland said. “Personal Growth and Family Living, Vocational Adjustment, and Consumer Education.

There was nothing bad about this, and I did enjoy the historical parts a lot.

We’re living in a complicated time. People are afraid of things they don’t understand, and we need to show that we’re Americans first. Do you understand?”

Dr. Hsue-shen Tsien was one of the cofounders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and he worked for the American military during the war even though he was a Chinese citizen. Now that China had been taken by the Communists, he had fallen under suspicion and was accused of spying.

I just wasn’t in the mood for another YA. Maybe at a later point I’ll have more patience for reading about teenagers.

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

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