4.5 / 5.0 Stars

Three women bound through birth, separated in war, and united in mission and hope.

This novel follows three extraordinary women during the brutal Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in World War II. Mingzhu is the First Wife within a wealthy Chinese merchant family. Qiang is her strong-willed and courageous daughter. They are both served by Biyu, their most loyal maid. All hell breaks loose as the Japanese descend upon their Shanghai home slaughtering many, and imprisoning others. Through all the violence, fear and extraordinary decisions made by these women and for them, they never lose hope of their eventual reunion.

I was stunned to discover that this is Ms. Pei Yin's debut novel. The writing is exquisite and the character development deep and rich. The mise-en-scène is equally rich and cinematic in scope. Overall, this is a story of love, hope, and shear endurance. If beautifully written and well researched historical fiction appeals, then I highly commend this book to your reading list.

I am grateful to Ballantine Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication date: June 17, 2025
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN-13: 978-0593975565

Thank you Ballantine Books & Netgalley for the ARC!

This is a haunting, beautifully told novel that swept me into a chapter of history I knew shockingly little about: the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Despite being familiar with many WWII narratives, this one felt wholly new and disturbingly relevant, especially in light of Hong Kong’s more recent political struggles.

The story follows three women Mingzhu, born into Qing dynasty privilege and trapped in a gilded cage of a marriage; her fierce and spirited daughter, Qiang; and Biyu, their loyal servant and Qiang’s closest confidante. Through their alternating perspectives, the book explores not just the horrors of war but the quieter, insidious forms of violence that preceded it inside the Tang family estate.

The first half of the book brims with tension and melancholy: the cold luxury of the Tang household, the icy rivalry between Mingzhu and her husband's concubine, and the tender, forbidden romance between Mingzhu and her daughter’s English tutor, bound by poetry, brisket lunches, and unsent letters. And just when you think you understand the worst of what these women endure, the war arrives and reshapes everything with devastating force.

This is a novel that lingers. It’s heartbreaking, yes but also luminous, defiant, and full of quiet hope. A must-read for fans of historical fiction that doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity or moral grayness.

“When Sleeping Women Wake” is by Emma Pei Yin. The title of this book refers to a Chinese proverb which states that when a woman realizes her inner strength, she beings to be/use it. The historical parts of this book - as it deals with the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in the early 1940s - was very well done. I liked the Author’s Notes about what she took from history, what she changed, how she got her information, and her reference sources. While I liked parts of this book, at times this book felt more like a romance book - who likes who, as two of the three women had romantic interests. I found this an easy read - meaning that the author’s style was comfortable and enjoyable. I also found a book about this event from a female viewpoint very interesting.

After the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, the Tang family relocated to Hong Kong, believing they were safe under British protection. First Wife, Mingzhu, struggles to deal with her husband’s concubine, while fighting boredom and loneliness. Slowly, Mingzhu begins to develop a relationship with her daughter’s tutor, finding excitement in their shared love of poetry. When the Japanese invade Hong Kong, the family is split.

This book was a bit slow moving at times. For a book centered on three female characters, none of the characters seemed particularly developed or engaging. I would have loved to have read more from Biyu’s point of view. However, she largely felt like an afterthought. I did enjoy reading about the resistance, particularly how the teenagers. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

When Sleeping Women Wake is a heartbreaking story of the atrocities faced by three ladies who lived in Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion. They lived and loved passionately and suffered for their beliefs. Engrossing to read and educational to learn about these terrible experiences.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story follows three women in Japanese occupied Hong Kong as they navigate the situation and figure out their places. The reader follows the stories of a mom, daughter, and the mother’s maid as they encounter tribulations, rebel, and fall in love. Historical fiction, romance, rebellion, women’s strength, and tragedy… what is there not to love?

While the premise sounds exciting, the story progression is relatively slow-moving. It took days to feel like I was making any progress while reading.

Emma Pei Yin, delivers a story of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during WWII in When Sleeping Women Wake. Based on stories told to her by her family, Yin follows the women of the Yew family. From a forced marriage and birth of a daughter, Qiang, Mingzhu and her daughter find a way to escape the confining traditions of the past while fighting for a future. The battles fought by the resistance in the three plus years of occupation are described accurately. The courage of the resistance groups is amazing. These women fulfill the Chinese proverb, “when sleeping women wake, mountains move.”
I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

So well crafted and told - I loved both the history and the characters. The fact that the book took two downplayed and marginalized groups during WW2 - women fighting in resistance and the Chinese resistance fighters in general in Hong Kong - just made it that much better.

There are more and more books finally being written about the Pacific during WW2 in various countries, and of course, add to that how the Japanese had invaded and oppressed China long before that. The brutality of the Japanese during the time is truly horrific and the book showed that well, while also keeping the graphic nature of it to a minimum.

I loved Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu as extraordinary female characters. They each displayed different qualities and their friendships with each other and this around them made their strengths and character development even better.

Really enjoyed the book and highly recommend both for the history, to know how commendable and instrumental the Chinese people were in liberating their own country, and as a reminder of the strength and perseverance of women.

Also, I love anytime the Japanese kintsugi is introduced in a book. Love the practice and art form for so many reasons.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

When Sleeping Women Wake, the debut novel by Emma Pei Yin, is a historical fiction novel that is significantly different than most that I have read. It covers that 3 ½ year period during WWII during which the Japanese military occupied Hong Kong. It’s a story mostly about women who are attempting to deal with the cultural values of the Japanese and the Chinese that devalues women. In the face of hardship of war and the brutality of the Japanese, the Chinese misogyny seemed to have sufficient flexibility after all. The Japanese perspective was women were to be seen but not heard, that women had nothing to contribute intellectually or militarily beyond providing “comfort” to the male warriors. Chinese women were expected by the Japanese to bow to their expectations.

Mingzhu was the mother of a successful Hong Kong businessman. Qiang was their daughter, and Biyu was their maid. Biyu was hired specifically to attend to Qiang shortly after her birth, and a deep affection developed between them, much more like sisters than anything else. In the occupation, Mingzhu’s husband was killed, so the women were mostly left to fend for themselves. Ms. Yin detailed their interaction with the forces in Hong Kong that resisted the Japanese aggression and the many brutal deaths with which they had to manage. It was the war that led to the women being painfully separated from one another, and in turn, how they managed their challenges individually and heroically.

The characters and plot were all skillfully developed. Just as the author talked of the love that the women had for each other, she also told of their attempts to find love of a more classical nature. I thought the author brought the various themes together when she completed the sentence which started with the title of the book: “When sleeping women wake, mountains move.” If historical fiction is of interest to you, especially the war in the Pacific, and especially with parts of the populace that was impacted by the war you may not have previously considered, then this book is for you. It gets my strong recommendation.

1941 Shanghai. In 1941 when the Japanese invaded Shanghai, the Tang family escaped and settled in Hong Kong. It was the belief that Master Wei Tang felt the Japanese would not harm the island as the British would protect them. The family consisted of Mingzhu, the First Wife, Biyu her maid, Qiang the daughter of Mingzhu, Cai the Second Wife and Concubine of Master Wu and their baby son. Wei Tang was the ruler of the family and demanded obedience from the family, especially Mingzhu. With the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, we read about the journey of Mingzhu, Qaing and Biyu as they take part in the resistance. It is then that Mingzhu finds the inner strength and becomes brave leaving the past behind. It is during the occupation that the three women are split up...with Biyu and Qaing escaping to a friend's house for refuge and Minghzu becoming a translator for the Japanese. This was an incredible story of love and emotion during a horrific time; While you may learn about this history in school, when you read a HF book such as this, you become involved with the emotions of the characters. I would definitely recommend this novel and wish to thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book of historical fiction centering on the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong is a tremendous and fascinating novel. I absolutely loved it. It is a page turner but also a beautiful story about three women: mother Mingzhu, her daughter Qiang, and their long-time servant and confidante, Biyu.

After the Japanese occupation, the women are separated and follow their own paths in terms of their interactions with the Japanese army. This, for me, is when the book became unputdownable.

This kind of book is not really my thing but I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to others. For a beautiful, engaging story, this one can't be beat.

A solid page turner! Historical fiction is a deviation from what I usually read, but I couldn’t put this down. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed every part of the story, but it was certainly engaging. I am Chinese, so it was like a happy little easter egg every time a word or phrase was said in pinyin.
The author did a wonderful job at conveying the horrors of war – when I finished the book, I felt a strong sense of heaviness that remains with me today, days later. Indeed, I even felt devastation and unjustness at the cruel end that befell the story’s first antagonist (before the arrival of the much-worse Japanese), Cai, who I hated (and still strongly dislike).

The three protagonists were all strong and unique – something I expected from the start. What I was pleasantly surprised by was the strength of the supporting characters as well. Sato, Mr. Gok, I’m looking at you. Of the three mains, Mingzhu was definitely my favorite. I loved how she advocated for women (and eventually for herself) and how her experience taught her to raise the bar for her daughter.

The romance was very predictable. It wasn’t what I came here for, and it’s also not what made me stay. The writing style itself also wasn’t the easiest to read, feeling a bit stiff at times. If not for the super-engaging plot and my intense desire to see the three women reunite, I feel I would’ve struggled a lot with the style of prose.

I received an advance reader copy of “When Sleeping Women Wake” from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I thought this was a beautiful story. I love historical fiction, especially when I learn something. This story took place during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and I knew nothing about that time. I also appreciated the women in this story: Mingzhu, her maid Biyi, and Mingzhu’s daughter, Qiang. Their stories separate with the Japanese occupation but each rise to the occasion and display their bravery. It was a story that pulled me in and made me want to keep reading.

This historical novel takes place in and around Hong Kong during WWII. We don't normally read about this particular time and place, and the author has taken pains to make it accurate as to what happened to one Chinese family when the Japanese invaded the territory, and how they joined the resistance to fight back. The characters are engaging and realistic, and the only complaint that I have is that parts of this novel are violent, because, well, wartime.
Still, the women rise to their dire circumstances and lead the way towards defending their families and other refugees that are trapped in the various battles. There are various real people woven throughout the novel which adds to its excitement and interest. Even if you know little about the period or Hong Kong in general, this novel will interest you for the strong female leads and how they handle themselves in face of adversity.

ARC REVIEW: Historical fiction takes place in occupied Hong Kong.

This is a powerful story of three women finding their path and making choices that will forever change their lives.

Mingzu - first wife to a businessman who does not see her for who she truly is. Mingzu lives to follow the script written by her ancestors until the war begins and she is forced to work with the enemy to survive with the hope of one day living the life she has dreamed of.

Qiang - the daughter of Mingzu, was a disappointment since birth (as she was born a woman and not the boy her father wished for), but with her mother's love and wit. Born into privilege, then stripped away from everything she knows and separated from her mother, Qiang becomes a fighter in the war.

Biyu - a maid since she was eight years old, caring for Mingzu since birth and later Qiang. Biyu is loyal and loving and learns to survive in the shadows during the violent years of the Japanese occupation.


These three characters portray the complexity of being a woman and the many roles that come with the title. The book is full of emotion, and hope.

I went into this book not knowing anything about the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. The author creates such a vivid narration that you can feel the heartbreak and despair as well as the heroism each character shows.

Received this digital copy for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books

This debut novel, written by Emma Pei Yin, takes place in occupied Hong Kong during the three years and 8 months that Japan held it from 1941 through 1945. What a novel! I loved that Ms. Pei Yin dedicates it to her ancestors...! The women in this story are the heroes. There is "Mingzhu - wife to a man she never chose and mother to a daughter she would die for.... Qiang - Born into privilege, Mingzhu's daughter. There is Biyu - Separated from Mingzhu and Qiang, she learns to survive in the shadows". The strength of these women is the backbone of this incredible book! The horrors of the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese were hideous, cruel and disgusting! Ms Pei Yin does not hold back...vividly descriptive, she tells it all. From rape to murder to incarceration, the incorrigible way the Chinese were treated by the Japanese was a humanitarian sin!
....There is love in the book and tenderly told.
I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thank you Ms. Pei Yin for writing it...this is highly recommended to all readers! @emmapeiyin @ballantinebooks

Three women - a mother, her daughter and their maid - are swept into drama, trauma and survival mode when the Japanese invade 1st Shanghai then Hong Kong during WWII. Monumental and intimate, this family saga pulled me in and held me tight as the story unfolded. Evolving beyond their tightly prescribed roles, the women struggled to find their places in a rapidly changing world. Emma Pei Yin's novel When Sleeping Women Wake ultimately shows us the inner strength of the three women as each responded to the terrors and atrocities of a brutal war, while never losing their love for each other and their fight to survive.

My gratitude and thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the privilege of receiving an eARC of this beautiful book. I highly recommend it for historical fiction fans, especially those who want to learn more about the WWII Pacific Theater.

What a great book! I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of it thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I had been unaware of much of the history of the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and Hong Kong and the Chinese resistance movement against them. The author did a great job bringing this period to life through the story of three women. It was fascinating to read about their lives before the occupation and how they evolved during it. I found the book very atmospheric and I was engrossed in the story. I couldn’t put it down. Very highly recommended!

Very interesting rea d! How women had to fight to be Women, I've never thought of Hong Kong being over taken by Japanese. Guess we never think of myself as a position. But women were all threw history have been viewed that way! Fight to get education, not owning property, and never having money.