Sister Snake

Sister Snake

Amanda Lee Koe

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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 as she freely uses her beauty and 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. 


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  • Reading Update from 24%

    Attending a book discussion & signing w the author this Sunday so trying to speed read this! Really enjoying the details about what being able to turn into a snake actually entails so far

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    Being a Singaporean, I personally found the descriptions of Singapore and Singaporean culture a bit lengthy but understandably so. The rigidity and sterility of Singapore is a key part of its pull for Su, its highly contrasted with the more provocative nature of New York. Despite their differences, the deep bond between the two sisters is really beautifully expressed. Plus..who doesn’t love bad ass bitch behaviour?!?!

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