The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Book Description

Manchuria, 1908. In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach―until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can’t escape the curse that afflicts them―their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family’s luck seems to change―or does it?

Review

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo offers a rich, atmospheric story, blending Chinese folklore, historical fiction, and magic. The novel, set in early 20th-century China, follows two main characters: Snow, a fox spirit seeking revenge, and Bao, an aging detective with a mystical connection to fox spirits. Their stories, told in alternating chapters, converge as they each pursue a common target.

Foxes are among my favorite animals. When people say they have a spirit animal, mine is always a fox. Maybe my love for these creatures is ancestral, since foxes and fox spirits pop up in both Chinese and Japanese mythology.

In Chinese folklore, these fox spirits, or huxian, are powerful and cunning beings. They can bring fortune or mischief, and sometimes, they even shape-shift into beautiful women to interact with humans. But in Japanese folklore, you have the kitsune. While they are similar to huxian, Japanese myths portrays them as more benevolent, though still tricky.

Given my love for foxes (I even named my publishing company Kitsune Publishing) you can see why I’m drawn to stories like The Fox Wife. And frankly, it doesn’t hurt that Choo delivers her story with a sensory richness that makes the setting nearly tangible. You can almost feel the crispness of the air, smell the incense in the temples, and hear the whispers of fox spirits in the night. Choo doesn’t just describe this world. Instead, we experience it through the characters’ interactions with it.

It’s no surprise then that The Fox Wife utterly immersed me, despite the complex themes of identity, revenge, and mortality. And while I loved Choo’s lyrical and accessible writing style, I really admired the characters Choo crafted to tell this story.

It’s all about the Characters

The character of Snow stands out for her wry observations and clear-eyed commentary on the inequalities between men and women, both in human society and in the world of spirits. Gender inequality is a significant theme in The Fox Wife. I found the way Choo uses Snow’s journey to challenge these inequalities highly effective.

Snow is not a passive character; she is assertive, insightful, and determined to defy the roles imposed on her.

Through her, the novel critiques the gender dynamics that strip women (or female spirits) of their agency. The story further suggests that these inequalities are neither natural nor unchangeable, but social constructs meant to control women. It is a poignant reminder of the pervasive nature of these issues, making the novel not only a captivating fantasy, but a reflection of the real-world challenges women continue to face.

Overall, I found The Fox Wife to be a brilliant, luscious novel. Choo’s ability to weave historical context with mythical elements strengthens the story. It is a captivating read and a thought-provoking exploration of cultural identity and gender dynamics. Like Thistlefoot, it offers an engrossing and magical escape while engaging us with deeper social issues. If historical fantasy and Asian folklore interests you, I highly recommend it.

Content Warning

Animal Cruelty, Child Death, Confinement, Enslavement, Fire, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Violence

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Catherine Zaidova on Unsplash