Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

A story of Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress in Hollywood. A story that should be told.

I have read nearly all of Gail Tsukiyamas books. I really struggled with this one. I didn’t care for the writing in first person. It read really flat to me. I wanted more. I wanted to feel her personality jump out of the pages. For someone who had such an interesting life, I felt the writing confined her to brief journal bits. An example without quoting. She looked out a window, she sipped scotch. She went for a walk. She came back to a note from this guy who asked for to dinner. She thought that sounded like something she wanted to do.
I spent 10 minutes reflecting on the paragraph. Who is this guy? How is he going to be important to her? What happened at dinner? And nothing more is said about the dinner.
Sorry I do love the other tsukiyama books and was just so excited to learn about Anna May Wong. I’ll go watch Shanghai express now.
2*

The Brightest Star was an excellent look into not only the life of Anna May Wong, but the lives of Chinese-Americans living in the United States during her lifetime. It was inspiring to read about how Anna May Wong broke barriers in the film industry and carved her own path, while navigating the difficulties of being a woman in the industry and not being taken seriously. My only feedback is that the book was pretty hard to follow at times with the jumps in setting and timeline, and it was a little long for my taste, but overall, I would highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for the copy of The Brightest Star. I was interested to read about Anna May Wong’s life and who doesn’t love a Hollywood story? I had no idea what to expect when I started this book because this was a new author for me. Now I have to go find other books by Gail Tsukiyama because I loved the writing style. Talk about a book I couldn't put down! When I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the story, and wondering what was going to happen next. Anna May was a powerful character, and I loved her tenacity in the face of racism and how she never lost her love for her family. She came alive on the pages of this book. I hope more people learn about Wong and her trailblazing contributions to the entertainment industry. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

This author has brought to life a trailblazer in movie history with Anna Wong. I had never heard of this actress and was given a great picture of what her life was like and how she broke down barriers to help end the use of yellowface white actors in the industry. The research was well done, however there were many times that the events of her life became a lists as opposed to an actual experience from the actor's viewpoint. I really ended up enjoying this book and found it to be great historical fiction. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. I will be recommending others to read this book.

Gail Tsukiyama is a must read author for me and although this work of historical fiction is a departure from her other books, it highlights her ability to engage the reader in a range of genres. Although I had heard of Anna May Wong, I knew little of her life or the bravery and determination she showed by blazing a trail for Chinese-American actresses. Wong's strength and complexity is fully explored and I can see this book appealing to a wide range of readers.

I’ve always been curious about the life of Anna May Wong and saddened how erased she’s been from history books. She must have been an incredibly strong and talented woman, to have lived and worked in Hollywood during a time when Asian women were so belittled, a problem Hollywood continues to have. This novel. Though fiction, is based on her life. It’s lush, easy to settle into, and simply remarkable. While fiction, I can only imagine that the author did her research and based much on Wong’s real experience. A pleasure to read, while infuriating to observe the crap she dealt with. Read this novel, so very good.

The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama is a great historical fiction that highlights the talented trailblazer Anna May Wong.

Born Wong Liu Tsong, Anna May Wong, as she came to be known, became one of the first well-known and internationally recognized Chinese-American actresses. Born in LA at the beginning of the 20th century, Anna experienced every mountain, battle, critique, challenge, and roadblock one can personally experience during her rise and time.

It was fascinating, and frustrating and disheartening at times, to read of her fictionalized life and career. I honestly knew nothing about her before reading this book, and I am glad that I did.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and HarperVia for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 06/20/2023.

Gail Tsukiyama did an amazing job with "The Brightest Star". While this is a work of fiction, Tsukiyama did a lot of research and followed the life of actress Amma May Wong as best she could.

I loved the tales of old Hollywood, while also saddened by its prejudice and miscengenation laws that made it difficult for Ms. Wong to portrayed the way she wanted to in films. I look forward to finding and watching some of her films.

this was such a good job in a Hollywood historical novel, I had enjoyed the Women of the Silk book by the same author. Gail Tsukiyama does a great job in telling the story and it was written so well that I was invested in the characters. It worked well in the setting and I was hooked from the first page. It captured the style and glamour of the story and I enjoyed this a lot. It was great to learn about Anna May Wong.

"I feared he might be the type of scholar who had no use for a Chinese-American actress. Instead, he described our meeting in a magazine piece as having been “dazzled” by my beauty I suspect that meeting a Chinese woman was a new experience for him, too, but we became instant friends and met whenever possible for meals and conversations."