Book Feature: The Brightest Star 💐

⁉️: Are you planning or traveling during the summer?

I am currently in Berkeley, California for the last few weeks for work and research travel. However, Mike is visiting and we are excited to try new restaurants and travel towards San Francisco today! Being in California, I am near Hollywood, and Berkeley has the most amazing Asian restaurants.

In this novel, the author of COLOR OF THE AIR, WOMEN OF THE SILK, and THE SAMURAI’S GARDEN brings the readers a lovely historical novel based on the story of the luminous actress, Anna Mary Wong - the first and only Asian American woman to gain stardom in early days of Hollywood.


At the dawn of a new century, America is falling in love with silent movies, including young Wong Liu Tsong. The daughter of Chinese immigrants who own a laundry, Wong Liu and her older sister Lew Ying (Lulu) are taunted and bullied for their Chinese heritage. But while Lulu diligently obeys her parents and learns to speak Chinese, Wong Liu sneaks away to the local nickelodeons, buying a ticket with her lunch money and tips saved from laundry deliveries. By eleven Wong Liu is determined to become an actress and has already chosen a stage name: Anna May Wong. At sixteen, Anna May leaves high school to pursue her Hollywood dreams, defying her disapproving father and her Chinese traditional upbringing—a choice that will hold emotional and physical consequences.

After a series of nothing parts, nineteen-year-old Anna May gets her big break—and her first taste of Hollywood fame—starring opposite Douglas Fairbanks in The Thief of Bagdad. Yet her beauty and talent isn’t enough to overcome the racism that relegates her to supporting roles as a helpless, exotic butterfly or a vicious, murderous dragon lady while Caucasian actresses in yellowface” are given starring roles portraying Asian women. Though she suffers professionally and personally, Anna May fights to win lead roles, accept risqué parts, financially support her family, and keep her illicit love affairs hidden—even as she finds freedom and glittering stardom abroad, and receives glowing reviews across the globe.

Thank you @BookSparks for the gifted copy!

#SRC2023 #TheBrightestStar #GailTsukiyama#BooksAndRec #BookSparks

Enjoyed the writing and plot ! It was slow to start but really picks up in the second half .

Thank you NetGalley

The Brightest Star, by Gail Tsukiyama, is an amazing story about an amazing and brave trailblazer! Learning about Anna May Wong's life, her family and her friends was just fascinating. She struggled, as the first Asian movie starlet, so others wouldn't have to. It's just a shame that it took so long for her to get the appreciation that she deserved.
Throughout the book I kept finding myself looking up more & more of the different people and events that are showcased in it. It didn't seem to matter whether I was familiar with them or not, I just needed to feel closer to all of it. And when I found out about the recently released Anna May Wong Barbie, of course, I had to order her ASAP!

In this novel, Gail Tsukiyama imagines what it must have been like to be Anna May Wong, the first Asian American woman to really make it in Hollywood. From her early childhood dreaming of becoming a star while working her family's laundry to her later years trying to regain a foothold in entertainment, Tsukiyama tells Wong's fascinating life story. I enjoyed reading about her various encounters with other big artists and entertainers of her time, and about the strong opinions she held about racism in the industry. Her complicated relationship with her father, as well as as with the Chinese media, were aspects about her that I didn't know much about before. Anna was vividly brought to life, but the task of covering her entire life was perhaps a bit too large as at times it felt like periods of her life needed to be rushed over in order to get to the next big part. A biography would not have had to worry so much about imparting emotion through anecdotes and perhaps could have focused more on events and information. Tsukiyama instead had to make this readable and enjoyable while also covering a tremendous amount of information about an extraordinary person. The very fullness of Anna May Wong's life made it both a topic of great interest and a hefty challenge, so I give credit for that.

2.5 stars

I had read Gail Tsukiyama’s previous novel, The Color of Air, and absolutely loved it! With that book, I was captivated by the beautiful, atmospheric writing as well as the emotionally poignant story that I sometimes still think about even now. So of course, when I learned that Tsukiyama would have a new novel out — and it would be about one of the most important trailblazers for entertainers of Chinese descent in Hollywood, Anna May Wong — I was, of course, excited beyond words. Not surprisingly, I had high expectations going into this one and was expecting to love it as much as I did Tsukiyama’s previous work. Sadly, that didn’t turn out to be the case, as this book ended up being a huge letdown. My first thought when I finished this book was that it couldn’t have been written by the same author as The Color of Air, as the writing style and execution here stood in such stark contrast, it honestly baffled me.

One of the biggest problems I had with this book was the way that the story was told. Narrated from Anna May Wong’s first person point of view, the story starts off in 1960, when Anna May is making a comeback from semi-retirement and is on a train across the country for a press tour to promote her latest film. She brings with her a stack of notebooks where she has written down her life story and as she starts reading them on the train ride, the timeline switches to 1913, when Anna May is 8 years old. From there, she takes us pretty much year-by-year through every aspect of her life, from when she was a child who would sneak off to watch movies, to her early days in Hollywood, to the height of her career and the last days of her life. In the process, every single movie that Anna May had been in — whether as an extra or with a significant role — is covered in great detail (in addition to basic movie facts such as who the director was, the names of the cast members, where and when the movie premiered, the reactions from audiences and critics, etc., there were also details on how she got each part, what led up to it, how she was treated and how she felt, what the aftermath was, etc. etc.) Normally, first person narrative wouldn’t be a problem, but in this instance, the voice was incredibly stilted and devoid of emotion — to the point that I felt like I was reading a long-form Wikipedia entry of Anna May’s life (except told in first person). Also, the way nearly every acting venture and personal milestone in Anna May’s life was recounted chronologically, and in exhaustive detail, made the story feel repetitive and tedious — I felt like I was reading about the same things over and over and over again, just with different people involved (and sometimes in different cities). I actually started to get bored about half way through the book and resorted to skimming whole sections so I could get to the end faster.

Another problem was that this story did not read like historical fiction at all. While it was obvious that Tsukiyama did a lot of research on Anna May’s life, the way the information was presented felt like I was reading a history book, which definitely did not work for me. I hate to say it, but the lack of emotion and atmospheric nuance (which I expect in historical fiction) made it feel to me as though the author simply took all the notes she had, organized it chronologically, changed the voice to first person, put in a prologue and epilogue, and voila, a retrospective of Anna May’s life in book format.

To me, this book was a missed opportunity. Executed differently, this story had the potential to be a powerful expose of the entertainment industry and the way it treated/still treats people of color. It also had the potential to be a moving story about a fascinating woman of color who struggled pretty much her entire career (and life) to gain acceptance into a notoriously misogynistic, biased, unforgiving industry — and the sacrifices she had to make in order to pave the way for other Asian entertainers who would come after. Instead, we got a robotic, paint-by-numbers recounting of Anna May’s life that lacked emotional depth — plus I felt like most of the information in this book, with the way it was presented, I could’ve gotten myself by spending a few hours searching the internet, which honestly adds to the disappointment.

Since I’ve enjoyed Tsukiyama’s previous works, I hope this book was an anomaly and that her next one will go back to the style that I’m used to seeing from her.

Received ARC from HarperVia via NetGalley.

The Brightest Star is a historical fiction novel about Anna May Wong, who is frequently credited as the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star. I had never heard of her but I like reading about previously famous people who aren't super well known today, so I was excited to read this book!

I enjoyed this book! It spans from around 1920 to 1961 and covers all of the details of Anna May's life. I just read another novel about a White performer from the same era and it was very interesting to see how different Anna May's experience was in show business. I knew that yellowface happened in classic Hollywood but did not realize it was to the extent described in the book, or that Chinese actors had difficulty finding roles because of anti-interracial laws at the time. Anna May was a very compelling character and I enjoyed how her story progressed throughout her life.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you are interested in classic Hollywood or the time period. 4 stars from me. Thank you to HarperVia and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book!

The Brightest Star will appeal to the historical fiction lover. It is the fictionalized reimagining of the life story of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American movie star. I found this novel fascinating. It was interesting to see how many legendary people were in Anna's orbit. (Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker, W. Somerset Maugham.)

I feel for Anna as she struggled as a Chinese American actress losing many a role to a white actor in yellowface. and missing out on leading lady status due to the anti- miscegenation laws of the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel. It was very interesting to read about this time in Hollywood history..

I've read many of Gail Tsukiyama's books and thoroughly enjoyed her writing very much. So I was sure this would be a hit as well.  I was very interested in Anna May Wong's life and this book certainly fleshed out her background and the challenges she faced in Hollywood. But I found the writing a bit stiff and not very engaging. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperVia for my copy of The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama in exchange for an honest review. It published June 20, 2023.
Wow! This book was so fascinating! I had never heard of Anna May Wong before, and what a powerhouse she was! I loved reading her story about what a trailblazer she was, and am so impressed by her legacy!
If you're interested in early Hollywood, I would totally give this a read!

I was very interested to read about Anna May Wong and I appreciate the strong light Tsukiyama shone on the issues she faced as a Chinese-American movie star. But I questioned why this was written as fiction and wasn't simply a biography. I read up on Wong after I finished the book and this story doesn't seem to have strayed very far from the truth, so I wonder about the purpose here.
I didn't feel that the character development was all that strong, but I did like the book and it is a quick read. So, for those readers who prefer fiction to real life, it is a way to learn about Anna May, her life in Hollywood and elsewhere, and Asian-American history.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: death, racism, homophobia, misogyny, outdated racial terms (used by those of that race), racial slurs (specifically anti-Asian and Chinese racial slurs), relationships between an adult/minor.

Growing up, Wong Liu Tsong falls in love with silent films, running home to mimic the expressions of the actresses she sees on screen. Taunted at school for her Chinese heritage, she dreams of becoming a star, picking out her own stage name as a child: Anna May Wong. While her sister Lulu is obedient, helping their parents faithfully at their laundry, Anna is a rebel, drawing the ire of their father. But when all of her hard work pays off and Anna gets an opportunity as an extra in The Red Lantern, she's hooked for life -- and there's no one who can stop her. Pitted against white actresses in yellowface, predatory film executives, and an American audience that wants their Chinese heroines either unsympathetic villainesses or good girls who always die, Anna rises in the industry nonetheless, and leaves a lasting impact that will change the lives of many Chinese and Chinese-American women for generations.

Anna May Wong has captured the imaginations -- and hearts -- of people ever since she debuted in 1919. A trailblazer by every definition of the word, she's someone who fought time and time again against discrimination and oppression, and although we now look back on her as a woman who was successful, she often felt the stinging blow of being denied role after role, only to have it taken by a white woman in dreadful, monstrous yellowface. Tsukiyama makes an effort here to peel back the layers, to allow us to see the film icon from her own perspective, and to also help us understand the setbacks she faced and overcame each time.

As a fan of Wong's, it was a thrill to see this book available on Netgalley. The cover, with its beautiful photograph of her with the haircut that inspired so many others to chop their bangs, caught my attention instantly. Reading the first page of The Brighest Star, however, I'm afraid to say that I felt the first, slightest hints of apprehension. This is my first time reading a novel by Tsukiyama, but she's famous and well-regarded, so I wasn't very concerned that I would dislike her writing. With that being said, as difficult as it is to say this, I'm not a fan of Tsukiyama's writing in the slightest. My main problem is partly due to writing style, which is all tell, no show, and partly due to pacing, which takes you so quickly through every part of Wong's life that it feels as if you get no time to absorb it whatsoever.

This is one of my biggest disappointments of 2023. It's hard to emphasize how much the pacing damages this story; it feels almost like flashes of her mind and thoughts and then, in the blink of an eye, it's gone. To put it simply, everything is flat, particularly Wong's inner monologue. There's absolutely no personality, and it's extremely off-putting, especially when you consider what an interesting and brave person Wong was. One other problem: the depiction of her relationship with Marlene Dietrich. Many people are aware of their relationship, but while Tsukiyama gives much dedication to the relationships Wong had with older, predatory men (including those when she was underage), and gives much detail to their "love and passion," Marlene is many times called nothing more than a friend. Very strange.

So, with all of that being said, I couldn't in good conscience give The Brightest Star a rating higher than two stars.

At the same time that America is falling in love with silent movies, so too is young Wong Liu-Tsong (or Anna as the American doctors named her). When she’s meant to be learning Chinese, she chooses instead to sneak away to the local nickelodeons and use her lunch money and tips from her family’s laundry business to buy her way into movies. Determined to become a movie star, she picks the stage name Anna May Wong and leaves school at the age of sixteen to pursue her dream, against the will of her father. It’s an uphill battle as she has to fight against anti-miscegenation laws and prejudices in the industry and America as a whole.

I’ve said it once and I’ll keep saying it: historical fiction should make me want to dive into a research rabbit hole following its reading and that is exactly what this book does. Utilizing primary sources, Tsukiyama presents to us a fictionalized version of Anna May Wong while still providing the actual timeline of her rise to fame.

The story is told in two timelines: Anna May in the present reading the her journals of the past. Despite some of the terrible things that happen in her life, the entire book feels like you are sitting down and listening to Anna May tell you her story like you are old friends. It is warm and inviting and elicits immense empathy for the struggles she had to go through.

A powerful story about a beautiful soul who was strong enough to blaze the trail for all those to come after, this story had me engaged from start to finish. Its warmth is incredibly comforting and I found myself turning page after page, completely invested in Anna May's story. From her highest highs to her lowest lows, I felt like I was going through everything with her, feeling joy at her successes and grief at her losses. After reading this book, I feel like Anna May Wong is a long-lost friend that I had previously lost touch with and recently found again.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

THE BRIGHTEST STAR by Gail Tsukiyama is a well-written and illuminating historical novel based on the life and career of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese-American women to perform in Hollywood films and to get a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Her story is told in first person by Anna May Wong, as she reads her journals, written from her childhood to the end of her career. As a child, Wong Liu Tsong and her siblings are bullied for their Chinese heritage. At age eleven, she has become enamored with the movies and vows she will be an actress one day. Defying her family, she quits high school and begins to pursue her dream, leaving her traditional Chinee upbringing behind. Now called Anna May Wong, she finally gets a few parts in important movies, but her professional goals can never be achieved in US due to the anti-miscegenation laws and blatant misogyny in the movie industry. The story traces her life in the 1920s and 1930s through her “present” reflections in 1960. I enjoyed this fascinating and richly-detailed book that reads almost like an autobiography. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

It is odd i checked the box for 'original' when this part of our history and without a doubt it is part of entertainment's history.
I have loved Gail Tsukiyama's novels and each one gets better. If you are a family of amazing historical authors such as Lisa See and Beatriz Williams than you need to add Tsukiyama's novels to your list.
In this novel we see a young woman who falls in love with the movie business. And even as she works towards having her name in lights, it doesn't mean that racism fades away. In fact, she becomes a bigger target.
Is that what "making it big" comes down to? Her talent vs. her race? And what side does she give into as silent pictures turn into 'talkies' and an even bigger reputation is in reach.
Beautiful world building with intriguing characters, and well researched.

This story is based on the life of Anna May Wong. I had heard of her but didn't know much about her, so I was excited to see this fictional take on her life. Some parts about Anna May's father not liking her choice of character seemed a bit redundant after his constant protesting, but I did like the fact that a woman in those days rose above what was expected and lived her dreams.

There are some cameos by some Hollywood heavy hitters, as you expect since they were all friends, but the story moved a bit slow for me overall. I think it is a good book, just not where I am in my life to handle something that isn't a quick read. I have shelved this on my read again shelf because the story is good.

I went into The Brightest Star with much anticipation. I've enjoyed other novels by Gail Tsukiyama and had an interest in learning more about Anna May Wong, Hollywood's first Chinese-American movie star. Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me. I didn't enjoy the first person narrative, which I admit is something I'm increasingly growing to dislike in historical fiction about real historical figures. Where it should make you feel more connected or "inside" the head and heart of the historical figure, I didn't feel any real emotional connection or depth to Anna or her story. It felt really slow, like a long, repetitive laundry list of people (name dropping) she met and trains/planes/stages she took without revealing much of her personality or her heart. And...given the life she led...I have a hard time believing she didn't have a personality!

I am still interested in learning more about Anna May Wong, and I'm grateful for the resources listed in the author's acknowledgments at the end. This one wasn't a win for me, but I'd still read more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I started reading The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama with no knowledge of Anna May Wong and her contribution to the movie industry,. I expected a novel simply about a woman’s rise in the movie industry. I certainly was wrong. Anna May Wong’s contribution was not just staring in movies. She fought for woman of color and of Chinese descent to be seen as individuals and be respected in the movie industry. While her quest for stardom often conflicted with her family’s values and traditions, she persevered through hard work to become the first Chinese American movie star. I am glad I read this book to learn about this pioneer in the movie industry.

Where are my Evelyn Hugo fans? This one is definitely for you. This is a novelized tale about Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress in Hollywood. It is a fascinating read about the trials of being a minority (and a woman!) in early Hollywood. Tsukiyama blends fact and fiction and is such a talented writer. Any historical fiction fan will love this one!

This was a very interesting and enlightening read. I knew absolutely nothing about Chinese American actress Anna May Wong before picking up this book. And even after reading it, I feel like there is still so much more to this woman that wasn’t captured (or perhaps couldn’t be captured) in this story.

So how does that work? How do I go from knowing nothing about this woman, to being educated by the author (who did a phenomenal job), but still feeling like the author didn’t do enough?! I’m just a weirdo I guess or maybe I’m a little upset that Anna Mae Wong has never truly gotten her due respect.

Back to the book! The title is very fitting, Miss Wong leaps off the pages and comes to life allowing us to get to know her in a real and intimate way. Kuddos to the author for creating such a beautiful and personal portrait.

My only disappointment with this story is the repetition in certain parts, for instance in one section a character is described as having grown older with white, thinning hair and a couple passages later the same character is once again described as having grown older with white receding hair.

It’s definitely worth a read and I’d recommend this to fans of Golden Age Hollywood, Chinese Actresses, Historical Fiction, and good reads in general.

This is a DNF for me. Couldn’t connect with the characters at all. It was boring and it was slow. I was hoping this would work for me because I love the time period and old Hollywood.