Linen Press is thrilled to have signed Karen Kao and her debut novel The Dancing Girl and the Turtle. The star of this eloquent literary work is the vibrant culture of 1930s Shanghai, where courtesan culture thrives and where Karen’s own heart dwells. We follow Anyi, a rebellious young woman determined to live on her own terms who is thwarted by her family’s expectations, by social conventions and the war with the Japanese that is about to engulf China.
Anyi is more than a mere victim or a decor piece in a tale of colonial decadence. Hers is the voice of every woman denied a place at the table and every girl who turns to self-harm as a means to survive shame.
Karen Kao is the child of Chinese immigrants and a native of Los Angeles, California, who for many years has made her home in Amsterdam. You can follow Karen Kao on her blog and read about her published short story Moon Cakes.