Yangsze Choo’s The Fox Wife is a graceful, unassuming novel set in 1908 China in the waning years of that nation’s final imperial dynasty. The story is built around interlocking halves unspooling in alternating chapters, equal parts folktale and mystery.

At first, the interlacing in this hybrid saga might seem discordant, its mildly fuzzy folkloric ambiguity at odds with the stark exigencies of investigation and discovery. But here, owing mostly to Choo’s remarkably understated narrative voice, the parallel plots mesh in pleasing yin-yang harmony.

The story unfolds around dual quests. The first thread — a heady plunge into magical realism — centers on a shape-shifting fox, a staple of Chinese folklore. Here, the animal assumes the guise of a beautiful young woman. But unlike folkloric shapeshifters elsewhere, this fox-in-disguise is neither temptress nor trickster but a fully sympathetic protagonist who merits a full measure of readers’ empathy. Such fellow feeling undergirds a few embellishments endemic to wonder tales like this (and to contemporary romance fiction as well).

Snow, to use the human name our vulpine heroine goes by, has traversed Manchuria, intent on finding the man responsible for the killing of her fox child some years before. Her growing compulsion for vengeance ultimately leads her into the family circle of an elderly, well-off widow, who takes Snow on as her personal servant. It’s here that Snow’s slow-to-develop blood quest begins to find purchase.

In The Fox Wife’s second narrative — a whodunit of the soft-boiled school, if you will — a retired schoolteacher turned P.I. is seeking the midnight killer of a courtesan left to die in the snow. If we transpose courtesan to tycoon’s mistress, it’s a set-up worthy of Chandler or Spillane. Still, don’t expect any rough stuff in Detective Bao’s protocol. He’s entirely cerebral and blandly serene, with an unerring — and appropriately eerie — knack for spotting an untruth as it leaves a speaker’s lips.

Choo nudges her episodic tale along at a nightstand-friendly pace, dressing her story with vivid helpings of sensuous period detail. Here’s a sampling from different moments in the novel:

“After a hot soak at the communal bathhouse — where for a fee you can wash, get a shave, and relax on a reed mat afterwards, listening to the singing of caged songbirds’’; “the stall awnings were lit with flickering oil lamps, and crowds of people pressed past, buying steamed rice cakes and candied hawthorns”; “there are at least 100 traditional hairstyles for women, with different variations announcing age and status…unfortunately, they all involve pulling and pinning your hair so tightly that you want to scream.’’

References to evocative native cuisine — drunken chicken, translucent jellyfish, pork buns, pungent raw garlic, crispy pancakes, sturgeon, roast pork loin — also recur at a per-chapter frequency that echoes the rivulet of foodie-flattering clues oozing through New Yorker crosswords. For some readers, this will prove to be a mouth-watering plus.

On to conventional matters, specifically the small-R romantic commonplace of uniting long-separated lovers. After her quest is satisfactorily resolved, Snow is free — misunderstandings cleared up — to reunite with her love, another fox-human shapeshifter, who’s lingered latterly in the story under another guise. And Detective Bao, too, his own search put to rest, encounters the long-ago love central to his fantasy life for some 50 years and more, in a surprising situation where mischances might be corrected. Sweet, right?

This is a novel geared to a marketplace often conceived as weighted toward women. Fans of today’s genre romances will likely find The Fox Wife hard to put down until they reach its humane and happy outcome. Not a romance fan? This book may not pluck your heartstrings or swell your bellows, but it’s a strong enough tale to grab at your imagination and inspire your admiration for a very fine writer.

Absolutely loved this book. It was magical and fairy-taley. It felt like a snowy landscape -- crisp, bright but with darkness just under the surface. I ended up listening to the audiobook and while I enjoyed it, I think I would've loved this book more in print. I'll be going back re read it!

I loved this book from start to finish. I have a soft spot for fairy tales, which may have played into how much I loved this book, but I also think the writing was just outstanding. There are arguably more than 2 main characters, though the two you spend time with the most throughout the book are so deeply written that it's impossible not to root for them to each complete their quests. The other characters are mostly written through their relationships with Bao and Snow, and those that fall into their gravitational pull - however, this did not diminish at all how close you felt with each of them. While the book of course contained magic and folklore, the relationships and storyline still felt natural, and the two main stories came together in a satisfying conclusion. Snow's deeply serious revenge quest is interspersed with humor and mystery, both heartbreaking and hopeful. Bao's path for a purpose is winding, the reader slowly learning - while he does - what he's really looking for.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This is a well-written, slow paced, unique dive into Chinese culture, folklore, and history. There are slow and planned reveals, twists in the plot, and you need to take your time with this book. It’s so atmospheric and magical (magical realism) that combined with the pacing you really do feel a satisfying slow down. This book isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo is an excellent read for lovers of magic realism. Through the characters of Bao, an elderly investigator, and Snow, a fox who can become human, Choo explores Chinese history, culture, and folklore in this compelling tale. There is a varied set of characters and a plot with surprising twists and turns. The conclusion is satisfying in unexpected ways. The storytelling is very visual, this would make a great graphic novel. Strongly recommended.

In Chinese folklore, foxes are depicted as magical creatures who are mischievous, curious, and seductive. I didn’t know much about them before reading this book but was overwhelmingly surprised and captivated with them in this story.

It takes place in 1908 in the last years of the dying Qing Empire, following two characters and their perspectives. One is Snow, mystical a white fox hunting the murder of her baby cub. The other is Bao, an older detective hired to investigate a mysterious death of a courtesan. The story is layered with both historical fiction and fantasy as the foxes and their human disguises complicate the daily lives of the humans around them.

As the plot thickens, their paths converge in the best way. I loved this fast-paced adventure!

Are you interested in this one?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
4 and 1/2 stars

This was my first time reading Choo and I'm glad I picked this up. I love magical realism and incorporation of folklore, so this was right up my alley. This story read really quickly and held my interest throughout. I thought it was particularly interesting how the foxes interacted with humans. Looking forward to reading more books by Choo in the future.

Such a moving story! This was so whimsical and remarkable! I've never heard or read anything like this, but I truly enjoyed it! The character development for several of the main characters was truly remarkable to watch. The deep backstory and how all of the characters' lives intertwined was a beautiful thing to watch unfold. Yangsze Choo has a truly vivid and brilliant way of writing, I felt like part of the story. It moved me along like leaves floating in the wind. I loved every moment of this and want to read more from this author now! This story had some great twists, and the ending was beautiful. All of it was perfect.

I received this book from NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I, unfortunately, really struggled with this book. However, I think it’s just not the book for me. The Fox Wife is well-written and the depictions of Manchuria in the early 1900s are particularly well-done. I just found it too slow and lacking in the fantasy aspect for my preference.

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially of times and places not often depicted, with just a hint of fantasy, then this is a good fit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This story was incredibly unique, and the mythology was something that I've never read about before.

The book follows two alternating story lines (though they take place at the same time). One, Snow, a fox creature who has taken the form of a human woman in order to seek revenge, and two, Bao, an elderly investigator with a strange ability to discern lies from truths.

Choo did an incredible job with these characters. Each one is individual and fleshed out, and their actions and motivations are varied. It's a bit hard to explain, but Choo makes sure that Snow, the fox, follows a completely different thought pattern than a human with a normal life span would. Many times when an author creates a story with an almost-human or a near-immortal, the character still tends to resemble humans in their narrative. Snow is neither monstrous nor human in her thoughts, but she looks at the world in a very different way than the humans around her. That was one of my favorite parts of the book - her narrative. It felt realistic for someone who had lived for a very long time and lived a very different kind of life than humans. Overall, the characters were impressive dynamic, and even detestable characters were interesting.

The historical aspects of this book also seem well done, and it seems that the author did effective research into this time period. The historical details were not boring, and I think that anyone interested in this time period in western Asia would like this book.

The plot felt a bit meandering, and there were definitely parts that were slower than others, which tended to made the book feel a bit long. Take this with a grain of salt - I was very busy while reading this, and this may have influenced by perception of the pace a bit. It was definitely slow at points, but I think that this might add to the story for many readers.

I would highly recommend this book. The story, mythology, and the characters were all incredible. The only reason it did not receive a higher rating from me is because of the slow pacing. The ending is also very satisfactory, so even a slow pace was worth it in the end.

In Chinese folklore, there are godlike creatures that walk among us from time to time. They are charming and better-looking than we are, but they can be killed (and often are) for their insatiable curiosity and appetite for human interactions... As the narrator explains it, she appears either as a small white canid, or as a slender young woman–neither form particularly safe in the world of men.

This graceful, magical novel draws on folktales, the languages, and the cultures of Manchuria, Japan, Mongolia, and Korea at the dawn of the 20th Century. A certain fox is seeking justice for a heinous crime, while an aging detective is on the trail of several mysterious human deaths said to be the work of foxes. Revolution is in the air.

Neither suspense novel nor straight-up fantasy, instead it's a polished, glittering gem of a revenge story set in a beautifully realized winter. The story unfolds at a leisurely pace, so be ready to enjoy the tale over a span of time. This is one of loveliest books I've read in a long while, and I look forward to pressing copies of this book into my friends' hands.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt for the chance to read the eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I love the atmosphere of this book. It's especially prevalent in the chapters told from Bao's point of view, which are written in present tense. His slow journey pursuing investigations leads him to follow in Snow's wake, piecing together her past path as we discover where she's going from the alternate chapters in her point of view. Throughout it all is the pervading mystery of fox lore, how it morphs and impacts people of varying beliefs, and how it compares to the reality of being a fox in this world. Through beautiful prose, the characters navigate their personal goals against the backdrop of a culturally and politically changing China and Japan.

Snow's intensity of purpose for the first half of the book disappears in a way that the book tries to say was gradual but felt sudden, thematically leaving the reader off-balance.

The title should really be The Fox Lady/Woman, because Snow's role as a wife plays almost no part in the book. The suppression of backstory between the foxes until near the end felt artificial (especially since it was easy to figure out) and didn't have the impact I suspect it was supposed to.

The book's real strength is Snow's and Bao's narratives winding around each other and eventually combining. Bao and Tagtaa's relationship interested and satisfied me the most. If you like slower, atmospheric magical realism with strong emotions, this one's for you.

You might like this if you like: Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, Serpentine by Cindy Pon, Circe by Madeline Miller, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I’m not familiar with Chinese Fox Mythology, so I spent much of this novel wondering about the purpose of the foxes’ magical realism. The published version of The Fox Wife has an Author’s Note at the end that explains the history of these tales. I would’ve loved to have read that before reading the novel. Even without context, the story was enjoyable. Beautiful and elegant writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up having no idea what it was about. I was immediately drawn into this beautiful story by the author's masterful writing and story telling. This story draws on the idea of people morphing into foxes from Chinese Folklore. It is a gorgeous blend of fact and fiction, reality and fantasy. The narrator alternates between Bao, an amateur detective, and Snow, a woman who gives herself as a servant to avenge her child's death. I felt myself immediately carried away by the writing, characters, and story. I know it's early, but this is a Top 10 book, for sure. Excuse me while I go seek out everything Yangsze Choo has ever read.

This is the type of book that makes me struggle to write a review - in a good way! I don't know how I can put my thoughts into words in a way that would do this story justice.

The Fox Wife is beautiful and haunting. It is a unique story that explores motherhood, grief, vengeance, regret, and second chances. This is a slow placed story that dives deep into our main character, Snow, who is chasing down the man responsible for her child's death. Meanwhile, we are following to point of view of Bao, a private investigator, who is looking into mysterious deaths and disappearances. The two storylines start to converge more and more as the story goes on and I really enjoyed this aspect. Seeing the connections become clearer throughout the narrative was a fun and satisfying experience.

I especially enjoyed Snow and the exploration of her motivations. She was a very complex, yet relatable character. She had so much grit and was a force to be reckoned with but she was not spared from slip ups and sometimes making emotionally charged decisions that led to some sort of mistake. Her journey and her experiences were very heartbreaking at times but it was ultimately a very beautiful storyline for her.

This was my first experience with the author's writing and I'm definitely excited to pick up her past works. She has an incredible skill for conveying so many thoughts and emotions in a very simple, digestible way. This was a great experience and I can wait to read more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is a picturesque and evocative story which draws on Chinese folklore to weave a spellbinding tale of shape-shifting foxes called huxian, which sometimes appear in beguiling human form. Humans both revere and mistrust them, manifesting in fascination, obsession, and tragedy on both sides.

The book addresses themes of grief, loss, and the thirst for revenge, and of wistful reflection on missed opportunities, and of the cultural restrictions on girls and women and the impact on their bodies, opportunities, agency, and lives.

The story is told from alternating perspectives - Snow, a huxian heartbroken over the loss of her child and hunting the human responsible, and Bao, a sentimental, aging detective investigating mysterious deaths which seem tied to the legendary creatures somehow. The author writes with graceful clarity and sensory richness, crafting memorable characters, immersive scenes, and poignant resonance. The pacing is leisurely and measured, but the payoff is emotionally satisfying and worth the reader's investment of patience.

I loved it.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a beautifully written story. The story was both heartbreaking and mysterious. The historical element combined with folk tale made it unforgettable.

The story takes place in Manchuria, China in the early 1900.s. It follows Snow and her take of revenge. It has a slow start but the writing is so beautiful it pulls you along needing to know more..

My first 5 star rating this year.

What a whimsical, mystical and heartfelt title! I have not had the pleasure of reading Yangsze Choo's works, and clearly have been missing out. She crafted two beautiful storylines about infamous Chinese fox sprits. The characters were so lovable and crafty. I was absolutely hooked from the first page. I highly recommend THE FOX WIFE!

of course i want to read about magic fox girls.

but my favorite part of this was the food descriptions.

unfortunately, the rest was extremely repetitive. we have two perspectives, one of a fox girl and the other of an aging investigator, both of which sound interesting and aren't. each perspective just follows its respective protagonist as they go from the same place to the next, looking for the same thing, unchanging in themselves or in the plot. i waited for this book to pick up and it never did.

the writing was also strange—a lot of moments where something would happen, and then it would be rhetorically referred to as if it didn't. a character spots another character, and then 2 sentences later, when he starts speaking to her: "he'd managed to find me after all." like, no, he just saw you. we just talked about that. "she'd used her patron's name, hoping it would open doors. which it had." okay, why did we have to say that then. it resulted in me going back and rereading a lot of paragraphs and getting frustrated.

the ending and romance came out of nowhere, after hundreds of pages of sexual harassment, but there were parts of this i enjoyed.

i just wish there were more of them.

I enjoy Yangsze Choo's writing and had a great experience with The Night Tiger in the past. The Fox Wife was a solid read and although it has been a while since I read The Night Tiger, I think I enjoyed this one more. There is something very comforting and cozy about her writing to me and the fact that it is paired with an interesting story really elevates my enjoyment. This book in particular was extra fun because I can't remember ever reading a book with fox mythology in it and I found it fascinating. This book is definitely going to be a good pick for any reader that enjoys enchanting and magical elements, historical fiction, and Asian folklore. Although, I am still waiting for one of her books to blow me away, I can be happy with consistent 4 star reads from her, too.