June 2026 - Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo
June 2026 Pride book bundle
Why I chose this book
I read Last Night at the Telegraph Club for the first time when it came out a few years ago and named it one of my favourite reads of the year. The 1950s setting allows an in-depth exploration of discrimination and how it impacts a young woman in multiple ways. One way that she can’t hide, her ethnicity is front and centre and exposes both the racism and fetishism that she encounters. The second, her sexuality, is kept secret forcing her to navigate the slurs and societal expectations before she even fully understands her own identity.
This book deals with many topics that are universal to growing up and figuring out who you are, but does so with the unique lens of a young Asian, lesbian woman in the midst of the Red Scare. I loved how Malinda Lo portrayed the slow-burn of self-discovery and longing - that feeling of knowing without yet understanding. From the first moment when Lily notices a young woman slipping her sore foot out of her shoe, she feels the need to look away, to when she keeps coming back to the newspaper ad for Tommy Andrews, to finding and reading the book in the pharmacy, to every time she spends time with Kath - there is such an undercurrent of longing that I think so many of us can relate to regardless of our own personal circumstances.
I think the real reason this book is banned has less to do with sexual content and more to do with how it so lovingly captures the uncertainty and longing and, ultimately, the discovery of what it means and feels like to be queer in such a tender and approachable way. That approachability makes it dangerous to people who want to control how others think and feel. It invites us into Lily’s world and helps us understand the struggle, the fear, and ultimately the freedom of being who you are in a world that sees you as wrong.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Last Night at the Telegraph Club in the comments below!
Recommended age: 14+
Included in this month’s Bundle:*
Enamel pin: This pin reads “You’re free to be you around me” and is perfect for both those in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies
Pride bracelet: A delicate, handmade bracelet that fits with any style to show your Pride everyday
Magnetic bookmark: Save your page with this brightly coloured bookmark
*All curated items are hand-picked from small Canadian makers
