Today we’re excited to chat with Alice Pung, author of Lucy and Linh!
Below you’ll find more about Lucy,
her book, plus a
giveaway!
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
ALICE PUNG: I went to five different high schools, and realized that at each new high school, I was perceived differently. This made me come to the understanding that my identity was not fixed, and that despite all the exhortations to ‘be yourself’, no‐one is really ever ‘themselves’ in high school– even if we are, others’ perceptions of us can subtly or massively shift our self‐esteem and behavior. Also, I wanted to explore a phenomenon that has not been written much about – the bullying of teachers, by students.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
AP: Lucy, of course. She was inspired by all the friends I had in high school, and the students I taught whose home lives were so different from their school lives. They worked in their parents’ backyard sweatshops or family businesses, took care of younger siblings and often translated letters and documents for their mums and dads. But at school, these girls – myself included – appeared to be ordinary, happy teenagers.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
AP: The novel always comes first for me – without the story behind the school whose name the Australian title derives (Laurinda), the title would be meaningless.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
AP: When I had my first book published ten years ago, I tried really hard to sound sophisticated. Now I think my characters, and my voice, are more authentic and full of life because I’m less excruciatingly self‐conscious and so am able to access greater viewpoints.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
AP: The enigma of the girl – she could essentially represent any student who has felt like an anonymous nobody in a private school.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
AP: In Australia, my latest book was launched last week! I edited an anthology called My First Lesson, stories written by high school students. I was amazed by the range of genres and diversity of voices, and it proved that given the chance, 14‐17 year olds can write just as well as adult YA authors.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
AP: I like drafting the book because that’s the period of time when I create with abandon. I never show any reader my first draft, so it gives me the freedom to not censor myself, make mistakes and go places I otherwise might not.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
AP: I can see through drivel and excrement! (Most of the time). When I re‐read my work with my editorial eye, if it bores me, it goes out of the manuscript. I am ruthless in my own self‐ editing.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
AP: I support Room to Read, a worldwide organization that makes it possible for children in the most inaccessible and impoverished communities to learn to read, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty that has imposed such limitations upon their parents and grandparents. It’s close to my heart because my mother can’t read or write, and neither can her parents.
Meet Lucy and Linh!
Gilmore Girls meets Fresh Off the Boat in this sharply witty novel about navigating life in private school and remaining true to yourself.
Lucy Lam and her family are Chinese immigrants from Vietnam living in suburban Australia. They work hard to make ends meet, but they’re happy. When Lucy earns a scholarship to a nearby uppity private school, they’re thrilled–but Lucy sticks out at Laurinda like badly cut bangs. Despite her attempts to remain as invisible as possible, she soon becomes embroiled in the antics of the Cabinet, the powerful group of supremely popular girls who wield their influence over their classmates and teachers to get their way no matter the cost.
Praise for Lucy and Linh:”Alice Pung is a gem. Her voice is the real thing.” –Amy Tan”A bracing, enthralling gut-punch and an essential read for teens, teachers, and parents alike.”–Kirkus Reviews, Starred review”Part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies, and part Special Topics in Calamity Physics, this well-observed and unsentimental novel taps into what is primal within privileged adolescent girls.”–The Bulletin, Starred review”In a novel filled with strong visual images, Pung draws a sharp contrast between authenticity and deception, integrity and manipulation. Against the vividly painted backdrops of two very different communities, she traces Lucy’s struggle to form a new identity without compromising the values she holds closest to her heart.”–Publishers Weekly
Meet Alice Pung!
Alice Pung is the author of the bestselling memoirUnpolished Gem, which was published by Penguin (Plume) in the USA and Portobello in the UK, and has been published in several translation territories. She is also the editor of the anthologyGrowing Up Asian in Australia.
Lucy and Linh
By: Alice Pung
Release Date: September 6, 2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
Wow, I didn’t hear about this book before, but it’s definitely going on my TBR list. 🙂
This is a book that lots of kids will be able to relate to. I work in a middle school where transiency is quite common. The cover really speaks to the theme of a changing identity.
Congratulations on Lucy and Lihn and congrats for supporting Room to Read!!!
The cover is adorable and I love the color. I love reading books with characters who come from different backgrounds so I can’t wait to pick this one up.
I’m excited; this rather sounds like Mean Girls Down Under :0) It’s also refreshing to see more diverse authors popping up.
This sounds like such a fun book! Love the color of the cover!
The cover is perfect for the synopsis! I want to read this book. i love these kinds of stories and this is going to be fun to read.
The cover doesn’t impress me at all, but the synopsis and the reviews I’ve read have me hooked (line and sinker, as it were). Thanks for this opportunity to win! Cheers, Kara s