This is such a gorgeous and expansive novel about three women . . . who are forced on a journey of survival * Stylist * A moving historical debut that's almost guaranteed to make you reach for the tissues . . . Heartbreaking yet hopeful * Woman & Home * A heart-breaking, moving, and soaring novel. An important literary feat from an exciting new voice * Nguyn Phan Qu Mai, global best-selling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child * In this gripping tale, a close band of women are scattered by a ruthless occupation, each finding her own path through resilience, cunning, and taking high-risk chances. Through imprisonment, forced labor, torture, sickness, and starvation, the women have to use their wits and daring to survive. A riveting, fast-paced read. * Jennifer Ryan, bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies Choir and The Underground Library * With vivid historicity and deeply relatable characters, When Sleeping Women Wake is a lushly romantic and impassioned story of women's agency and resilience * Juhea Kim, internationally bestselling author of BEASTS OF A LITTLE LAND and CITY OF NIGHT BIRDS * Emma Pei Yin weaves a spellbinding tale of transformation, resilience, and the quiet power of awakening. Through evocative prose and a richly drawn sense of place, she brings to life a cast of women whose journeys are as layered as the story itself. A novel of depth and nuance, When Sleeping Women Wake lingers in the mind long after the final page-an exploration of strength, self-discovery, and the landscapes, both internal and external, that shape us. * Ayesha Inoon, author of UNTETHERED * In When Sleeping Women Wake, three women-a resourceful and literature-loving mother, a strong-willed daughter, and a devoted servant-flee Shanghai to Hong Kong, only to have their lives upended once more by the Japanese invasion during World War II. Separated by the ravages of war, each woman must navigate her own fate amid escalating danger and conflict. Compelling, beautiful, and deeply moving, When Sleeping Women Wake is a powerful tribute to the forgotten women and men who fought and resisted the merciless grip of the Japanese forces during a dark period of Hong Kong's history. Readers of historical fiction will be swept away by this stunning tale of love, loyalty and survival. Emma Pei Yin is a talent to watch! * Weina Dai Randel, award-winning, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Master Jeweler * I devoured Emma Pei Yin's heart-rending, transportive, and action-packed When Sleeping Women Wake in a single day. Brimming with intrigue and fascinating history, this sweeping story of resistance and resilience in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during WWII brings to life beautifully-drawn characters and paints a gripping portrait of the strength of women's bonds, the hope that springs from love and chance meetings, and the grace of small acts of kindness in the most trying times * Ashton Lattimore, author of All We Were Promised * When Sleeping Women Wake reminds us that compassion can prevail, even against a ruthless regime that attempted to radicalise its soldiers into seeing the Chinese people as lesser than humans. Emma's debut brought 1940s Hong Kong to life, showing me a lot about its struggles during the Japanese occupation' * Jane Yang, author of The Lotus Shoes * A breathtaking, important story of family, love and endurance told with unflinching clarity and beauty, this is historical fiction at its finest. I urge you to read this book * Wiz Wharton, author of GHOST GIRL BANANA * Told from the perspectives of three independent women whose lives are intertwined by fate, this is a skilfully written epic that sheds light on a little-known corner of history - the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Emma Pei Yin breathes exquisite life into this tale of romance, resistance and self-discovery. * Lauren Chater * All the things I love in a book: strong women, untold history and a rollicking story . . . A total page turner. I can't believe this is Emma Pei Yin's first novel . . . Meticulously researched, brilliantly told and such an eye opener about the women of Hong Kong's resistance movement in World War Two Hong Kong. I loved it. * Victoria Purman * Yin's debut is a riveting account of the resistance of three very different women during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong-not only against the occupation, but against the traditions that bound them. These are women's stories beautifully intertwined with history brought to life! * Eve J. Chung, author of DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG * When Sleeping Women Wake explores the untold histories of women's war experience under Pei Yin's steady hand and refuses to look away from the violence of war. Courage, strength and power bleed from every page, every chapter brims with tension and turmoil as we navigate war-time Hong Kong and wonder if these women will survive, let alone find each other again. A gripping piece of historical fiction to add to your bookshelf. * Alli Parker, bestselling author of At The Foot of the Cherry Tree *
