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Fishbone Cinderella
- Author
- Elizabeth Lim
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller, Mirai Mirai
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Publish Date
- 23 July 2026
- Run Time
- 15 hours 26 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
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What to expect
A bracelet. A curse. And golden fishbones to be returned to the sea. . .
Guangdong, 1940. When Ha Yut Ying narrowly escapes Japanese soldiers by turning invisible, she knows her new-found magic must be kept a secret. But her mother, whose dreams foretell the future, suspects her daughter has changed, and warns her of a curse upon their family. For her protection, she gives her a gold bracelet whose links are shaped like fishbones.
After the war, Ha Yut Ying is sent to live with her father and his second wife, who have become wealthy factory owners in Hong Kong. Her stepmother, jealous of her beauty, forces her to work in the family's shoe factory.
But when Yut Ying collides with a boy on a bicycle on her way to work, she loses her bracelet. The boy is Tommy Yeung, scion of a local soymilk tycoon. And their encounter will change both of their destinies forever. . .
'EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A BOOK' STACEY LEE
'ENTHRALLING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, AND HEARTFELT' YANGSZE CHOO
Critics Review
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Everything you want in a book - mothers and daughters bound by love and fracture, an aching, fate-twined romance, women carrying the weight of inherited magic, and a sweeping history that crosses borders and generations - Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim is utterly unforgettable
Stacey Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl
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Elizabeth Lim's dazzling Fishbone Cinderella is an enthralling fairytale with a Chinese twist. A family curse dooms the women in Helen and Marigold's family, entwining their fates through a dark ability. Their secrets are traced against the richly evocative and lusciously detailed backdrop of Hong Kong and Berkeley in the 1940s and 60s, where uncertainty and love bloom. Enthralling, thought-provoking, and heartfelt, Fishbone Cinderella is a must-read for historical fiction fans
Yangsze Choo, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fox Wife
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A gorgeous, haunting story of magic, memory and loss. Fishbone Cinderella is an aching exploration of the lengths we go to protect the ones we love, and the bonds between mothers and daughters in all their forms. Lim's story has all the hallmarks of a new fable: elegant, atmospheric, and resonant across time and space
Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
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YA author Lim (A Forgery of Fate) dazzles in her dark and deftly woven adult debut . . Blending the historically grounded and complex mother-daughter narratives of Amy Tan with the rich fantasy of Yangsze Choo, this stunning tale will delight Limʼs fans and newcomers alike. This is a gem
Publishers Weekly
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It's a rich, sprawling, utterly bewitching brew of fascinating history, gut-wrenching trauma, love, hate, loss and magic. It may riff on the story we all know so well - even in its Chinese form, in which the Fairy Godmother is a golden fish - but this is as fresh as a brand-new fable. Gorgeous
SFX
-
Everything you want in a book - mothers and daughters bound by love and fracture, an aching, fate-twined romance, women carrying the weight of inherited magic, and a sweeping history that crosses borders and generations - Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim is utterly unforgettable
Stacey Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl
-
Elizabeth Lim's dazzling Fishbone Cinderella is an enthralling fairytale with a Chinese twist. A family curse dooms the women in Helen and Marigold's family, entwining their fates through a dark ability. Their secrets are traced against the richly evocative and lusciously detailed backdrop of Hong Kong and Berkeley in the 1940s and 60s, where uncertainty and love bloom. Enthralling, thought-provoking, and heartfelt, Fishbone Cinderella is a must-read for historical fiction fans
Yangsze Choo, New York Times-bestselling author of The Fox Wife
-
A gorgeous, haunting story of magic, memory and loss. Fishbone Cinderella is an aching exploration of the lengths we go to protect the ones we love, and the bonds between mothers and daughters in all their forms. Lim's story has all the hallmarks of a new fable: elegant, atmospheric, and resonant across time and space
Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi
-
YA author Lim (A Forgery of Fate) dazzles in her dark and deftly woven adult debut . . Blending the historically grounded and complex mother-daughter narratives of Amy Tan with the rich fantasy of Yangsze Choo, this stunning tale will delight Limʼs fans and newcomers alike. This is a gem
Publishers Weekly
-
It's a rich, sprawling, utterly bewitching brew of fascinating history, gut-wrenching trauma, love, hate, loss and magic. It may riff on the story we all know so well - even in its Chinese form, in which the Fairy Godmother is a golden fish - but this is as fresh as a brand-new fable. Gorgeous
SFX
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Elizabeth Lim
- Narrator
- Emily Woo Zeller, Mirai Mirai
- Duration
- 15 hours 26 minutes
- Release Date
- 23 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781399750851
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hodder & Stoughton
- Genre
- Fantasy, Historical fantasy, Mythical creatures: Fairies, elves and similar elf-like, fairy-like or magic-like beings or folk
Synopsis
A gorgeous, spellbinding East-Asian inspired fantasy novel about a family curse across generations from the bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes. Perfect for fans of Axie Oh, Sue Lynn Tan, and Samantha Shannon!A bracelet. A curse. And golden fishbones to be returned to the sea. . .Guangdong, 1940. When Ha Yut Ying narrowly escapes Japanese soldiers by turning invisible, she knows her new-found magic must be kept a secret. But her mother, whose dreams foretell the future, suspects her daughter has changed, and warns her of a curse upon their family. For her protection, she gives her a gold bracelet whose links are shaped like fishbones.After the war, Ha Yut Ying is sent to live with her father and his second wife, who have become wealthy factory owners in Hong Kong. Her stepmother, jealous of her beauty, forces her to work in the family's shoe factory.But when Yut Ying collides with a boy on a bicycle on her way to work, she loses her bracelet. The boy is Tommy Yeung, scion of a local soymilk tycoon. And their encounter will change both of their destinies forever. . .'EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A BOOK' STACEY LEE'ENTHRALLING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, AND HEARTFELT' YANGSZE CHOO
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