Author: Emma Pei Yin
Pages: 336
Available format: hardcover
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Genre: Asian Lit, War, Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction
disclaimer: you'll find a special Q&A with the author at the end of the review (feel free to skip over to that if you want)
Synopsis:
1941. Following the
Japanese invasion of Shanghai, the wealthy
Tang family has settled in
Hong Kong, believing it to be protected under
British occupation. As the First Wife of the family,
Mingzhu leads a glamorous, if at times lonely, existence—mothering the son of her husband’s concubine, overseeing her daughter
Qiang’s education, and directing their household of servants, including her long-time confidante,
Biyu.
But when the Japanese invade Hong Kong, the three women’s paths wildly diverge. Although Mingzhu’s affinity for languages spares her from physical labor, she finds herself coerced to either work for the enemy or face certain death. Qiang and Biyu scrape through days of factory work and meager food supplies, constantly on the run from newly unfolding dangers until an encounter with the
East River Column Resistance fighters separates them. The longer these women become embroiled in the brutal occupation that engulfs the region, the more determined they are to resist—but can they support the resistance and still find their way back to each other?
At once monumental and intimate, When Sleeping Women Wake powerfully explores how ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things, and the unwavering hope that love can carry us through even the darkest of times.
Review:
Emma Pei Yin’s When Sleeping Women Wake is the kind of historical fiction that seeps under your skin and refuses to let go. Set against the brutal backdrop of Japanese-occupied China during WWII, this novel doesn’t just recount history—it makes you feel it, breathe it, and grieve it.
What struck me the most is how the book doesn’t rely on a single perspective. Instead, it weaves together the voices of three unforgettable women—Mingzhu, Biyu, and Qiang—each caught in the impossible crossfires of war, yet each battling completely different inner wars of their own. Mingzhu’s struggle between love and loyalty, Biyu’s tug-of-war between freedom and duty, and Qiang’s fight between tradition and individuality made the narrative layered, raw, and painfully human. I loved how distinct their dilemmas were, yet they tied together seamlessly in showing the multifaceted ways women bore the burdens of war.
Another thing that hit me hard—and honestly made me tear up—was how Emma Pei Yin doesn’t just focus on the children orphaned by war and occupation, but also on the parents who lost their babies. That double lens of grief feels so rare in historical fiction, and it makes the heartbreak all the more complete. It’s not just about what war takes away, but who it leaves behind to keep living with that loss.
But perhaps one of my absolute favorite things about this book is that it not only tells but also shows, with haunting clarity, that there are innocent people on both sides of a war. Pei Yin carefully unravels how ethnicity should never be the sole reason for hatred, disgust, or blanket judgment. The novel reminds us that generalization is never the solution—it only perpetuates cycles of pain and prejudice. In that sense, When Sleeping Women Wake feels like both a historical reckoning and a timely lesson for our present day.
And if I’m being honest, part of why this book feels so close to me is because I see bits of myself in all three women. Mingzhu’s yearning for a pure, soft love, Biyu’s longing for freedom and the chance to discover who she is when she’s not tied to anyone else, and Qiang’s fierce disdain for marriage coupled with her search for individuality and camaraderie—each of those threads resonated in a deeply personal way. But most of all, what connected them, and what I related to most, was their shared hunger to be seen not just as women but as whole, separate human beings. Human beings who are just as capable, resilient, and worthy as any man.
This is one of those books that makes you ache, makes you reflect, and makes you want to hold onto the humanity in others even tighter. It’s beautifully devastating, and it’s going to stay with me for a long, long time.
Q/A
Before we begin, I would like to say a big thank you to Emma for taking some time out and answering all my questions while she's busy with the Asia tour right now. Love you Emma!!!
Q. First of all, congratulations for introducing your fist literary child to the word!! As a debut author, what advice would you give to other writers—especially women of color—trying to break into publishing?
Never be afraid to ask questions and especially to ask for what you want.
Q. What was the first spark that inspired you to write When Sleeping Women Wake—was it history, a character, or something more personal?
The seeds of the novel was planted long before I realised I wanted to write the book. It began when I used to spend mid-autumn festival and lunar new year in Hong Kong with my family. During those days, my grandfather would tell me stories of the Japanese occupation in Hong Kong.
Q. The novel follows three women with very different circumstances. How did you develop Mingzhu, Qiang, and Biyu into such distinct yet interconnected voices?
Mingzhu is a character that has been with me for over a decade. Every character has traits and personalities derived from women I know in my everyday life. Like my grandmother, my aunt and my mum.
Q. Why did you choose the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong as the backdrop for your debut novel?
It was a means to reconnect to my own family history and to discover new truths I had not yet learned.
Q. Many war novels center men at the frontlines, but your book places women at the heart of survival and resistance. Was this a conscious decision to reclaim women’s narratives in history?
Absolutely. I also cannot fathom ever writing a book where all the main characters are men. Women's voices are constantly erased or rewritten by men - and it's down to us to keep talking and sharing stories so that these voices don't get lost.
Q. Which of the three women do you personally feel closest to, and why?
For me, it would Qiang. I am most like her. In the way we both stand up to what we want and are never afraid to ask questions. I feel that many of Qiang's hopes are my own. Of course, I wasn't always like this.
Q. You weave in themes of loyalty, morality, and survival—sometimes with no “right” choice available. How did you approach writing those morally gray decisions?
The entire world is grey. Everything we do leans left or right and will always be seen as right or wrong depending on who is looking in. Life is messy. There's no benefit in writing characters any other way. It would be a lie.
Q. What kind of research went into building the historical detail? Did you draw on family stories, archives, or oral histories? Any books you read specifically for writing this beauty?
The research took many years. This book took over a decade to finalize and I think one of the biggest challenges to unearthing women's voices in history is that there's so very few accounts recorded. I found so much on the experiences of white people during the occupation and what happened to them. I definitely drew on family stories but also made sure to read as many history books as I could while researching archives online. One book I always recommend is The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang.
Q. Was there a scene that was especially difficult for you to write emotionally?
Most scenes were difficult to write because we're exploring themes of race, class and gender. These are all topical issues we still face today and so writing becomes an act of mirroring real life situations or experiences. It's never easy.
Q. On the flip side, was there a scene that gave you joy or a sense of catharsis while writing?
The very last sentence on the very last page.
Q. You’re also an editor and mentor for other writers. How did that editorial eye help (or complicate!) the process of finishing your own debut?
It didn't help at all. I can't edit my own work to save my life. I'm too close to the story and so I always seek the help of another editor.
Q. The title When Sleeping Women Wake is so striking and fitting for the book and the characters. How did you land on it, and what does it mean to you?
It's always been one of my favourite proverbs growing up and the title didn't come to me until quite late into the writing process. To me, it means that women are capable and strong and that nothing can get our way, even if sometimes we forget our strength.
Q. If your novel had a soundtrack, what three songs would definitely make the playlist?
I have made a playlist on Spotify! The first 3 on there were on constant repeat while I was writing and editing the book.
(you can find Emma's playlist here)
Q. A fun question before I ask the last one, if you could have tea with any of your characters, who would it be, and what’s the first thing you’d ask them?
It would be Qiang and I would ask: What's next for you? What life do you want to live?
Q. What's next for Emma Pei Yin as a writer? And what do you hope readers carry with them after finishing When Sleeping Women Wake?
I don't expect too much from readers other than the hope they go away from the book with a small sense of hope. I'm currently working on my next novel and can't wait to share it with you and the rest of the world.
