Having been captivated by Yangsze Choios previous works like 'The Night Tiger', I approached 'The Fox Wife' with high expectations. Landing an advanced copy from NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company was a big win! I definitely did a quick happy dance when that approval came through.

Set in 1908 Manchuria, "The Fox Wife" weaves a tale around the mysterious death of a young woman, rumored to involve enchanting shape shifting foxes known for stealing life force. Detective Bao, intrigued by the myth of fox spirits, takes on the case to unearth her identity of the young woman. Simultaneously, a family cursed to lose their sons before their 24th birthday faces impending doom as their last heir approaches this age. The story is interwoven through a new mysterious woman, or fox lady, who arrives in Manchuria.

Some might say this is a slow book, yet the way the writing beautifully captured your attention was amazing! I captured so many quotes from this novel that just hit you right in the soul.

The plot is a masterful of simple unexpected twists and turns. 'The Fox Wife' accomplishes this with a seamless blend of intrigue and revelation. I truly believe the author understands the way grief can take a hold of you and carve unending pain.

The use of dual POVs is executed with such finesse that it elevates the narrative to new heights. The alternating perspectives provide a rich, layered understanding of the story, allowing the reader to immerse deeply in the world without giving away the story too far in advance.

Each character brought a unique essence to the story. One character, in particular, resonated with me due to their complex journey and development throughout the novel. I can honestly say I loved every major character. The characters were well enough developed and had complete story arcs.

Lastly, the ending was perfect! I was adequately satiated with the story. It was not rushed and it made total sense for each character.

'The Fox Wife' is a story that resonates with profound themes and exquisite storytelling. Yangsze Choo has solidified her place on my list of must-read authors. I wholeheartedly recommend this book .

Foxes speak! Imagine a group of fox spirits who can live one thousand years, transmorph into human forms, live among us and bewitch us. One such fox is Snow aka Ah San. She is grieving the loss of her child and is out for revenge for all who have had a hand in the murder. Through her narration, we follow her path during 1908, in China and Japan. She eventually becomes the servant of an elderly woman who was saved by one of these foxes as a child.

Snow is reunited with two other foxes in their human form. Shiro is a mischievous beguiler who has women falling at his feet and providing him with money for a very comfortable lifestyle. He has befriended the grandson of Snow’s employer and his coterie of friends. Kuro is a noted writer who wants to help Snow any way he can.

Concurrently, we meet Bao, who as a sickly child, had a nanny who prayed at a fox shrine for his health. Bao recuperated and discovered he could not lie and could discern when others did. After his wife died, Bao decided to use his talent and become a private investigator. He was charged with finding the missing soon-to-be wife of one of the richest men in the area. He was also asked to find the identity of a beautiful woman who died outside a restaurant in the cold.

The book moves seamlessly between these two characters. Their stories hit on so topics, grief, sorrow, regret, friendship, loyalty, mystery, hope, love and magical realism. The underlying Chinese folktale provides a magical canvas for this wondrous story.

Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC! I love the folklores and East Asian cultures Choo explores in her books, but this one was a bit of a slow start for me. I found myself putting down the book often during the first 60% of the book, but once plot points fell into motion I became more invested. The book makes use of alternating characters/plot lines that eventually converged, which I liked at times but also found occasionally distracting. I think I was just really anticipating this release and maybe hyped my expectations up too much, but I’m still a Yangsze Choo stan and will devour whatever she writes next!

I didn’t want to put this one down! I loved how the story flowed. You will fall in love with the characters. I really enjoyed this book A LOT!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.25/5 stars

This story was truly something special - it was slow paced, but unique and captivating in a way that few stories are. The writing was exemplary, and the characters fascinating, and the atmosphere top notch. It's the kind of book that, granted, not a ton happens - but you're so enraptured by the storytelling that you get lost in the pages and just have a genuinely good time navigating the motivations and intersecting stories.

I really struggle to write a longer review because it was just such a unique read - the plot was interesting enough but what you get captured by is the lore, the intrigue, the characters and their stories and grief and (often) conflicting motivations. It spans a lifetime and countries and is just so rich you'll be mesmerized.

I really highly recommend this to anyone that wants a story with some stakes and action but really just something you can sink into, with characters you'll come to feel for (whether that be positive or negative) - beautiful storytelling by an author that truly and obviously has a passion for what they do.

This was a quiet, atmospheric novel that was part mystery, part fable. It was all about foxes, the Chinese folklore that surrounds these animals and their supernatural abilities such as shape shifting. The plot is told from two perspectives = a detective trying to solve a murder mystery and a companion to an elderly wealthy woman. This companion is also a fox living in human form.

I absolutely adored learning about the fox folklore. It was fascinating. It added an element of depth into the plot. The writing was also beautiful and lyrical. The author successfully created a charming yet otherworldly setting that seamlessly blended history and magical realism.

My challenges while reading this book lay in the many characters and challenges of keeping all of the characters straight. I was confused for the first half of the story as to who was who. I also found the pacing off, which detracted from the suspense of the mysteries.

I received an ARC from Henry Holt and Co on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so charmed by this story. I felt I was in the hands of a master storyteller, one who know how to take her time, how to entrance me, how to make me see the story in my mind's eye, how to delight me and keep me turning the pages. It took its beautiful elegant time to tell me a beautiful, elegant story, one that captivated me. In some places I felt--and this is a good thing--that I knew what was going to happen next--and the anticipation what I knew was coming was such a pleasure, like hearing a wonderful old tale told once more by a master storyteller, or hearing a song you know by heart performed by someone who has been practicing that song her whole life. Wonderful. I read the book while simultaneously listening to Choo's narration which was such a treat.

Patrons liking fantasy, fairy-tale, historical novels will enjoy this interesting tale involving beings that are human and animal spirits.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and Net Galley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fox Wife is Yangsze Choo’s third novel. After I was approved for this ARC, I took the time to read Choo’s other novels, The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger, before picking up this one, and something I love about Choo is that she evokes the same feelings of beauty and whimsy in all her novels, even if the stories are quite different.

The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger both follow younger characters than The Fox Wife does. While those are more coming-of-age stories, this one is about real grownups, and I really liked that.

1: The Plot

The story begins in Manchuria, 1908, and the Qing Empire is dying.

In Mukden, Bao, a detective with a great propensity for finding the truth, is investigating the circumstances behind the death of a young woman, found frozen in a doorway. Rumors of foxes surround her death, and Bao was long since been a follower of fox gods.

Meanwhile, Snow, a fox spirit on a quest to avenge her dead child, boards a train from Mukden to Dalian, pursuing a murderer. Her journey takes her from Northern China to Japan. Along the way, Snow enters the household of the proprietors of a famous Chinese medicine shop, whose sons are cursed to die young. But Snow’s entry seems to have changed their luck.

2: Narrative, Prose, and Story

Like with The Night Tiger, Choo switches up her POV style between characters. The story is told from Snow’s first person perspective and Bao’s third person perspective.

Understated worldbuilding is really Choo’s specialty. I never feel overwhelmed while reading her books, despite existing outside the cultures they’re based on. There’s never any infodumping. She does exposition so well.

Choo does an incredible job putting the setting and politics in the background, so the story and characters can exist in the foreground. The times and locations of her books exist in an epicenter of political and social conflicts, but that’s not the focus.

Like Choo’s other works, I’d describe the pacing of this book as slow and steady. She takes her time, but not necessarily in a way that makes the plot feel like it’s lagging.

3: The Audiobook

TBA

4: Characters

Snow was easily my favorite of Choo’s female protagonists thus far. I like that she’s an adult with adult experiences. Though I liked The Ghost Brides’ Li Lan and The Night Tiger’s Ji Lin, they’re both young and naive. I liked the change of tone Snow offered.

Snow is jaded and vengeful, which is to be expected since her child was murdered. But she’s also kind and loyal to those who are kind and loyal to her.

Bao wasn’t as interesting of a character as Snow to me, but I still found his parts enjoyable enough to read. He’s a few steps behind Snow during the story.

5: Conclusion

In terms of a story that gripped me right away, I think I enjoyed The Night Tiger a little bit more. But I still enjoyed The Fox Wife a lot and look forward to Choo’s next work!

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Yangsze Choo creates a fascinating story that mixes folklore with true history that reminds me of a fantasy laden take on Pachinko. Overall Choi crafts a story of murder, curses and Fox gods that allow readers to see Manchuria and the culture of the time and how folklore can truly affect the way of life.

Set in Manchuria in the early 1900s, Snow, a mysterious fox woman, is looking for a photographer to avenge a murder.

On the other hand, a very successful detective named Bao is following a case of a woman who was found dead and people speculate that her death has to do with foxes. He has always been interested in foxes and someone suggests to him to look for the photographer Bektu Nikan who knows about those creatures.

The novel has a dual narrative, the first one is narrated from Snow’s perspective, and the second one which follows Bao is narrated in the third person.

Yangsze Choo’s storytelling is very immersive, she can take the reader to those mystical places full of traditional Chinese culture, history, and mythology.

I appreciate how the author gives an overview of the situation of other Asian countries during the Imperial Qing dynasty such as Japan, Korea, and Malay, creating a well-set and enthralling novel rich in history.

Yangsze Choo is not only a great storyteller but also an excellent audiobook narrator. After finishing reading The Fox Wife I noticed the audiobook was narrated by the author so I decided to listen to the novel starting all over, leveling up my reading experience and I ended up loving it even more. Also, the audiobook includes the author’s note that I missed in the digital ARC.

I highly recommend the book and audiobook. I read and loved as well The Ghost Bride so The Fox Wife was one of my most anticipated books. I thank Negalley, Henry Holt and Company and Macmillan audio for this e-ARC and audiobook.

Pub date: February 13th, 2024

This is a heavy read, in the best way possible. The pace is slower than I anticipated but it is rich with Chinese mythology and culture. Yangsze Choo's storytelling is immaculate, albeit melancholy. It reminds me of a collection of essays, sort of like how Anne Fadiman wrote The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures (which is another 5 star read). I did admittedly have to switch between this read and lighter ones, but I have no regrets. This book is beautifully woven and I can't say enough about the imagery and dialogue.

Meh - this one wasn't for me. I wanted to love it, and I was so excited to be granted an ARC of it. It just didn't keep my interest. The story was so repetitive, and I lost interest pretty quickly. Regardless, I pressed on, hoping for something redemptive, but it just didn't come through for me. I would say that the writing is lovely and atmospheric, and I liked the characters and the setting, but the plot took far too long to get anywhere for me.

In Chinese mythology, fox spirits are immortal creatures with the power to shape shift; tricksters that could be a portent of good or evil. Female foxes are depicted as wicked and capable of draining out the life force (Qi) of men. In The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo, it is China, 1908. Snow Hu is a beautiful, young fox/woman from the north region in search of the man whom she holds responsible for the brutal death of her daughter. During her journey, she encounters the misogyny and dangers of a lone, self-sufficient woman.

“Neither are safe forms in a world run by men.” (about being a fox and a woman)

“Women who run around willfully doing whatever they please are bound to be censured. A handsome,
cunning man is a different matter”

(the difference between being an independent woman and being a man)
“Money is very important. If you don’t have money, you get sold.”
(an observation from a little girl working at a brothel)

In alternating chapters, we shift between her story and that of Bao, a private detective with the ability to know when people lie. He has found his life to be somehow tied to fox spirits. As he investigates the death of a young woman, he finds that he may get the answers to the existence of Hujing (fox spirits), and to an incident from his childhood that he can’t quite remember. It is inevitable that Snow and Bao’s stories become intertwined
.
I found this story to be poignant and beautifully written, with eye-opening revelations about the human condition. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"An old fox understands the trap." (Unknown)

Han Chinese believe in Huxian, the fox spirit or goddess. Foxes are known for their adaptability, their cleverness, and their cunning. It is these shapeshifters who are subtle and can transform themselves into humans in a nano second. Foxes can be feared or revered. According to mythology, people say that foxes are evil women. That's for you to decide as Yangsze Choo's story unfolds brilliantly.

The year 1908 unfolds as treacherous times in Manchuria. There has been over 350 years with the Qing Dynasty, a non-Chinese dynasty for that matter. The Dowager Empress rules with an iron fist while the Russians and the Japanese have taken a heavy foothold in the northeast. People are weary and trust no one.

Snow falls over the tracks leading to the body of a young woman crouched in a doorway. She's dressed in a beautifully embroidered gown. There are no signs of who she was or why she was there. The restaurant owner only wishes to be rid of the body and its trail of bad luck for his business. He calls upon Detective Bao, a sixty-three year old "fixer" who relishes the work after becoming a widower.

Bao is aging, but his cleverness and fortitude are not. We'll follow him as he makes his inquiries and uncovers buried secrets that people do not want revealed. As a sideline, I hope that Choo taps into this remarkable character and continues with a storyline of his own in her next book.

The female character of Hu, also known as Snow, will make her entrance. She is mourning the loss of her child with every breath that she takes. She is diligently trying to find a man by the name of Bektu Nikan who she holds responsible for the death of her child. Bektu is a successful photographer who is constantly on the move.

Snow finds herself without any options. Desperate, she takes a position at a medicine shop for the care of the Elderly Mistress. This family has been plagued with bad luck when it comes to their male heirs. Elderly Mistress decides to accompany her grandson to Japan. Snow will go as well. It seems that Bohai will study Western medicine in Japan. The last place that Bektu was spotted was in Japan. And here's where our story takes on an intense life of its own.

Yangsze Choo is a superb writer. Her credentials are stellar. But it is an absolute art to be able to convey and transfer all that to the written page. And she does and she triumphs through The Fox Wife. With Chinese history and folklore brimming through her, Yangsze Choo has delivered a memorable novel that will become a must read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Henry Holt and Company and to the talented Yangsze Choo for the opportunity.

This is a fairytale that turns into a mystery that turns in to a romance and it is so awesome! I read half on Kindle and listen to the second half as an audiobook narrated by the author and I’m so glad I did because at the end of the book she explains the myths in the book all about the fox in the stables the journey of 1000 years and so much more and I absolutely adore this book. A fox shifter goes to the city looking for a photographer she is out to kill she uses her Giles to get where she needs to go but never gives up anything that causes her to lose her self-respect or tarnish her journey of 1000 years. through luck she becomes the companion/servant to an elderly woman whose family owns a pharmaceutical clinic she is also suffering the loss of her baby daughter and she is married but we don’t find out to who until almost the end of the book. The grandson of her ladyship, who she is a companion to is into photography which is new at the time this book is written and so the fox wife thinks he can help find the photographer. We learn throughout the book the photographer is a blackmailer and much more. In a different part of the book we meet detective bow he is investigating the frozen lady that was found in the doorway of a restaurant. She was sitting up with a big smile on her face which is a sign she was a fox. During detective bows investigation he The choir‘s a photograph of the foxwives I’m thinking she has something to do with the murder he looks for her. Detective bow also is the truth seeker of sorts when someone tells a lie he knows if someone is up to no good innocent telling the truth he gets a grimace on his face in those who know him know what it means. He also has an assistant name Hong and Hong will be the one that brings these two POBs together but trust me when I say there is a lot of story before that happens an OMG this whole book is awesome I absolutely loved it I haven’t even told one third of the story there is so much to this book and it’s all good I wish I could wax poetic to convince everyone they should read this book Or be like the fox shifters and could persuade you long enough to go and buy the book because once you start reading it you’ll be so glad you did. Especially if you love fairytales mysteries and a slight death of romance and there’s more than one Kinda sorta romance because can I just say OMG her ladyship and Bow… Love it! You’ll have to read the book to see what all that means I hope you got this for this long discombobulate a review and I hope I have convinced you just took it so worth buying. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

The Fox Wife is set in Manchuria 1908. A woman is found frozen to death in the snow. An elderly man named Bao, who has the ability to hear lies, is hired to find her name, to give proper religious rites. His interviews yield repeated mention of foxes, which are believed to possess magical powers including the ability to transform themselves into beautiful, but tricky, women. The story is told with alternating chapters between Bao and a young woman, Snow, who is searching for a photographer. As the plot unravels, the fates of our two main characters become increasingly intertwined, in a story of revenge, fate, and of course, foxes.

I was so excited to be approved for this book on NetGalley! The plot immediately drew me in, as I’ve always loved books based on folklore, its such a unique perspective into the particular culture and always leads to me going down different rabbit holes to learn more. The story telling was rich, full of vivid details of the culture in the different areas that are mentioned in the book, but at the same time, I didnt feel burdened with overly descriptive passages.

I wouldnt call the story particularly complex, or the narrative dense, but I found this a positive aspect, as it reminded me of how folklore stories are traditionally told. Snow was my favorite of the two narrators, likely influenced by her chapters being written in first person (vs the third person for Bao). Her emotions were more tangible and she was surprisingly funny, especially her interactions with Shiro and Kuro.

The one thing I didnt like about the book is I felt there were still a lot of questions at the end, especially in regard to why are certain “unnatural” things occurring. These weren’t answered very clearly, and I found that to be a bit of a let down because I’ve always loved when things come together very smoothly.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What is there not to like about Yangsze Choo’s latest novel “The Fox Wife”? For me, this book pushed all the right buttons! A dazzling piece of historical fiction, taking place in Manchuria in the early 1900’s. It’s filled with Chinese folklore, an element of magical realism, and a cast of characters that are unique, well-developed, and who may or not actually be a fox! A page turning tale of mystery and fantasy not to be missed!

Review scheduled for 1/31/24.

THE FOX WIFE is a story of grief and reconnection, telling a small section in the life of a fox named Snow whose child was killed for the sake of a photographer's art.

Snow is a thoughtful narrator, relaying her contemporaneous thoughts as best as she can, but sometimes hinting at the trajectory of events that haven't quite transpired in the narrative. She is grieving her child, and leaves the grasslands to track down the photographer who desired a fox pelt as a prop for his photos. Snow's perspective is alternated with that of an amateur investigator, Bao, who has been able to sense lies ever since his nanny prayed to a fox spirit during a childhood illness of his. Contrasting with Snow's chronological telling of events, the sections following Bao connect pieces of the narrative on a thematic level. Some deal with his childhood, particularly his friendship with a courtesan's daughter. Others follow him in his twilight years, contemporaneous to Snow's telling, with a whole life and marriage behind him, using his lie-sensing abilities to solve mysteries for people. What begins as an attempt to identify a dead woman turns into a meandering quest into rumors of foxes, and one particular woman who disappeared from a walled garden.

The worldbuilding is relayed through conversation and Snow's observations, as well as Bao's thoughts. Snow tends to explain a fox's perspective on human things a contemporaneous reader could be expected to know, which works neatly to give insights into both Snow and the historical setting. There's an attention to the ways that women and girls are restricted for the sake of men's whims. The narrative is filled with wives, concubines, courtesans, and even girl-children who are treated according to their future matrimonial prospects (or lack thereof). Even Snow is most often called a nickname based on being the third servant to work for her eventual mistress. She is wary of male foxes, as human sexism translates into easier lives for them and more danger for her if she's caught up in their schemes.

The three narrative strands weave together to tell a complete story. I was able to figure out many connections and identities by having access to all three perspectives. Bao, the detective was usually the last one to figure out exactly what fox-related thing was happening, but that's because he doesn't know if transforming foxes (like Snow) are real. Snow, for her part, isn't ready to talk about the more painful aspects of her recent history, so the reader must piece together what happened before the book started by combining what Bao finds with what Snow tells of foxes. It had a mystery feel without being an outright whodunnit for the reader.

I know a book is great when it heavily features a theme I dislike or personally don't relate to but I love it anyway. Anyone who can make me love a book about being a grieving mother has done something very special. It handles this topic with care, gradually saying more of what happened to her child as Snow is able to process her grief. I was drawn back to it, finishing it in less than a week as I needed to know what would happen next. A third of the way in there was a plot point that in other books would have been wrapping things up, but instead the narrative blossomed in unexpected and very welcome ways. I would happily read more with Snow (or any other foxes) if the opportunity presented itself, but this story feels complete and is very satisfying.

I was intrigued as soon as I saw the synopsis for this novel. I love non-Eurocentric fantasy and Choo definitely delivers, painting a rich world of folklore and magic for the reader. THE FOX WIFE follows a private detective named Bao in the early 20th century. He begins investigating a woman’s mysterious death and stumbled into the world of fox spirits. What follows is a magical mystery with a touch of romance.

I loved the dual POV narration and especially the character of Snow, a fox spirit with plenty of secrets of her own. Choo does an excellent job of weaving the threads of the story together. I highly recommend this book and look forward to seeing what the author does next!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.