Sister Snake

A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters--one in New York, one in Singapore--who are bound by an ancient secret

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim and using her charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret: once, they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her--but she soon begins to worry that Emerald's irrepressible behavior will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Razor-sharp, hilarious, and raw in emotion, Sister Snake explores chosen family, queerness, passing, and the struggle against conformity. Reimagining the Chinese folktale "The Legend of the White Snake," this is a novel about being seen for who you are--and, ultimately, how to live free.

Author: Amanda Lee Koe
Publisher: Ecco Press
Published: 12/03/2024
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.00w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780063355064


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 07/01/2024 pg. 2
Publishers Weekly 09/23/2024
Kirkus Reviews 10/01/2024
Booklist 10/01/2024 pg. 20
Shelf Awareness 12/01/2024