A literary read with alternating POVs.
What to expect?
- Alternating POV set in the Chinese Windrush (1966) to early 1970s following nurse Sook-Yin who comes to England from Hong Kong for a better life. Sook-Yin's younger daughter Lily in 1997 comes across a large inheritance and tries to find out more about the inheritance, her mother's history etc; set during Hong King's handover to China in 1997.

- Sook-Yin was an interesting character. She makes new friends despite her misconceptions that she might not transition into the England life easily (I loved the Marilyn, Clark Gable and movie stars talk between her and her roommate Peggy). She then works as a nanny, meets a white guy Julian and marries him. They start a business and try to build a life.

- Sook-Yin's brother's characterisation, though small, was shocking and punches you in the gut. He blames Sook-Yin for marrying a colonizer and also puts her down. These scenes show the contrast between how Sook-Yin is trying to find a new life in a new land and how her family's expectations of her are very different.

- The title draws from Lily being the ghost girl (perhaps Sook-Yin too in some measure, finding herself in a new country, and her decisions not accepted by her family). Banana is a derogatory term for a white person.

- The daughters are brought up by their father. Maya the eldest daughter with features that fit into Western standards has an easier life. Lily, the youngest daughter finds it difficult to fit in, being away from her heritage, and because of the way other kids/people treat her. (The scene where she tries to search whether a Western girl could be born with a monolid ). While Maya sails through life, Lily finds herself stuck. The author then transports Lily in a search for the truth about her mother. But she finds that she doesn't fit in there either. It was enlightening reading about the diff struggles Lily faced, and also how nice people can bring out the best in you.

What could've been better?
- I wish Lily had more things to say/feel about the other people in her life. She seemed reduced to pursue the truth about her mother. How did the death of her father affect her? While we see enough of Maya, I wished she was more fleshed out and her role existed not just to show how she and Lily were different, or to aid the fleshing of the character Lily. I would've liked Maya to have more individuality, perhaps like Sook-Yin's character sketch. While this is Sook-Yin and Lily's story, but I was curious about Maya beyond her role to aid Lily's story.

-I feel Julian, for his irresponsible, manipulative ways was toned down by the author. When Sook-Yin's brother was well written in a few dialogues, the father and husband in Julian could've been better written too. It was almost as if his faults are no big deal and toned down. Why?
Rating : 3.5 stars

The book follows Sook-Yin and Lily in alternate chapters. Sook-Yin moves to London in the 60s from Hong Kong to work. We follow her as she goes through different jobs but ends up marrying a British man due to an unwanted pregnancy. He promises her a good life but barely does anything
to make that a reality.We see how throughout her life in the UK she is victim of racism and discrimination and how she works to protect her daughters and herself against it. A series of events leads the whole family to move to Hong Kong where we see more and more how Julian is financially irresponsible and how Sook-Yin tries so hard to instead provide a safe place for her daughters and her family and herself to be in.

On the other chapters we follow Lily. After her mother's death she grew up with her dad and older sister back in London and she does not remember a lot about her mother and we see the different ways she was slowly robbed of her memories by her father and her sister. She gradually feels more isolated and like she does not belong. A biracial woman compared to her older sister who is instead white passing and has apparently reached more success.
She suddenly becomes the beneficiary of a mysterious inheritance that asks her to go to Hong Kong to receive it. So we then follow her to Hong Kong in 1997, the year of the handover to China, where she starts to discover more about her mother, the place she came from, her family and how she died.


This book was an impressive debut, except for a few things I would definitely recommend. I loved
seeing both stories unfold and how some things were missed from Lily's uncovering. How part of her mom's story would have remained unknown to her, how good part of Sook-Yin's story was erased or was attempted to by the people around her, her brother and her husband especially.
The mother- daughter relationship but also the older sister- younger sister relationships were explored beautifully.
A few things made this not a full 4 stars for me:
Lily's relationship with her dad was lacking, I would have liked to see that more, understand how her feeling might have changes as she discovered the pain he caused.
Lily and Maya relationship- despite towards the end this was explored in a nice way I felt that it would have been so much better if we had seen Maya more.
I felt that both Sook-Yin's brother and her husband were given too much grace. Julian was a terrible, manipulative liar who I did not have any compassion for despite efforts to picture him as somehow naive for doing what he did.
And the brother's reasoning for how he treats Sook-Yin throughout her life felt like it was meant to give him more grace than he deserved too.

However this was a solid good read. The depiction of messy family dynamics, the explorations of
identity, immigration and belonging were compelling and kept me curious to read more.

Wow! It's been a long time since I was swept away by a novel the way I was with Ghost Girl, Banana.

Wiz Wharton's captivating dual timeline novel tells the story of Lily and Sook-Yin. Sook-Yin is forced to come to England to start a new life in the sixties, and decades later her daughter, Lily, is summoned to Hong Kong days before its Handover to China in 1997 after she's left a fortune in a will by a stranger. Lily's trip to Hong Kong offers a chance to step away from her fractured life in the UK and to connect with the late mother she barely remembers, but she soon becomes entangled in a mystery that makes her question the narrative of her life she's been given back in England. I loved the themes of identity and belonging in this novel cleverly woven into a engrossing mystery.

Lily and Sook-Yin are such extraordinary characters, vividly portrayed from the off. The dual timeline allows for the parallels between the women to shine through, parallels that Lily is unaware of at the start of the novel, although she hungers to know more about Mumma. Both women struggle to find their place in cultures that place them as 'other' because of their heritage. The striking title references the derogatory names Lily and Sook-Yin are given because of who they are. This struggle with belonging is acutely felt by Lily, who has struggled with her mental health and who, despite aching for more connection to her past, is shut down by older sister Maya, who doesn't want to talk about Mumma or what happened when she died in Hong Kong.

The pacing of this story is excellent, with short chapters and many clever twists. The settings are perfectly realised, giving such a solid sense of place and time, But more than anything, this is a novel that is bursting at the seams with love. The love between a mother and a daughter, love between siblings and the journey to love yourself and who you are.

It's such a special book, and I can't wait to read more from Wiz Wharton.

An exhilarating dual timeline debut novel that digs deep into the mysteries surrounding the lives of LiLi (1997) and her mother Sook Yin (1966 and onwards), weaving between London of the 60s and 70s through the eyes of world-be nurse Sook Yin, whose family has exiled her from Kowloon, and Hong Kong in the last days before the island reverts to Chinese rule and where LiLi has come to try to unravel the connection between her family and a stranger has left her half a million pounds, but mainly to try to find herself.
The handover is more than a historical backdrop, it is a metaphor for the questions of identity that haunt both women and their inescapable feeling that they belong neither in Hong Kong nor in Britain, that they are neither Asian not Western, that perhaps they are the Ghost Girl, Bananas - the racial sluts that make up the title novel of the poignant and intelligent novel. And as well as the tale of a complex family, the book is also full of twists and turns until the very last pages, when we finally understand what happened to Sook Yin and how it has impacted the next generation. A great read!

Ghost Girl, Banana follows two women, a mother and her daughter, over two separate timelines. Sook-Yin was sent to London in 1966 to try and regain honour in her family. Her daughter, Lily, has suffered throughout her life as a result of losing her mother at 4 years old. Their combined stories weave throughout decades and continents, exploring identity, belonging, mental health, immigration, and the tribulations of family expectations and deceptions.

This book was a slow burn for me. The execution felt a little flat for most of the book, and the characters lacked the depth to fully express the themes being highlighted throughout the plot.

However, the format really kept you intrigued as you joined Lily on a discovery of her mother's past, helping her to come to an understanding of not only what lead to her mother's death, but also her own ghosts within her past.

I really enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Lily and her sister, Maya. It was very strained in the beginning, but as secrets are revealed and Lily came to terms with who she is and where she wants her life to lead her, I loved watching the effects this had on the dynamics between this next generation.

I also came to appreciate the dual element of the title, as revealed through the plot, really emphasising and expressing the theme of identity and prejudice both women dealt with.

A well written lively tale. The past and the present were equally well drawn, This is an original take on the family saga. I was drawn in and quite quickly wanted to find out more. This is a definite must read for people who want a bit more depth to their family sagas.

A really accomplished debut weaving love, betrayal, survival and trying to find a place in a family and society when you feel an outsider. The author manages this against a backdrop of Hong Kong before and during the handover really bringing details and emotions around it to life.
I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you to netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an advance copy of this book

A wonderful read. Immerses the reader into the world of Lily and that of her mother who died when she was five. Lily learns to deal with the world whioe guided by her sister Maya; born of the same parents, Maya is blonde and pale skinned - taking after her white, British father. Lily has inherited her Mother's looks and also character: dark straight hair, dark monolid eyes......and living in England with their Father does not feel as though she fits in with her fellow schoolmates, her English side of her family. Mentally fragile and with memories of Hong Kong and her Mother that her sister insists are not real, destiny pushes her towards Hong Kong at the time of the Handover. To find her past, her family, what really happened to her Mother and find out why a shadow from the past is extending the hand of friendship and financial security.

I really enjoyed this book.
I have not read much literature focusing on Chinese culture and identity, and had no idea from the title that this would be paramount to this wonderful semi-autobiographical (I am guessing) account.

Ghost Girl, Banana leads you through the life of Lily, a half English, half Chinese girl, and her obsession with her failures since University, and sadness over her family. A chance notification of an inheritance from an unknown donor leads her to discover her roots, her family and secrets that change who she is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, which explores identity and to a certain extent, dysfunctional families.

A magnificent debut novel. Dual timelines, two protagonists in lily and Sook-yin that have you hooked from the first page. A brilliant insight into the Hong Kong handover set in a story of finding your identity and sense of belonging, with a narrative surrounding a mystery inheritance and family secrets. I couldn't put it down. The narrative pace is brilliant, the writing is beautiful. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

Sook-Yin comes from Hong Kong and leaves to come to the UK to train as a nurse. She did not want to leave her home but her brother, Ah-Chor, was adamant that she had to make something of herself and that would be in the UK. Jealousy turns out to be one of his main issues to make her leave as he always felt she was the most loved child and this caused him to be quite ruthless in life. Sook-Yin arrives in the UK and nursing turns out not to be for her, the written word for her being the main problem. She becomes a nanny to a family who run Chinese Restaurants and is very happy. One evening while at the restaurant with the family she meets Julian Miller. Julian seduces Sook-Yin and she finds herself pregnant with her first daughter. They marry and have a second daughter. Unfortunately Julian was not particularly honest and they have many many financial troubles along the way. Sook-Yin finds the deceptions hard to deal with and they decide to go to Hong Kong to try and get their marriage back on track. Matters are made worse in some respects especially when Julian spends time with her brother who still has a “chip on his shoulder”. Then the gambling debts come into play. The book moves from the mid 60’s and 70’s and 1997 when the Handover to China happens. The early part is about Sook-Yin and her life and then in 1997 when Lily goes out to Hong Kong to fulfil a request from a man who left them money if they travelled to sign the papers in Hong Kong. Lily’s life had been traumatic as Sook-Yin died in a car accident and the girls were sent back to the UK to be with their father. Lily decided she needed to have the story of her mother which she felt had not been truly given to her by her older sister and father. I feel I would like to write more about the whole book as I enjoyed it so much but I am also aware that someone who reads a review does not want a blow by blow account of the story and they then would not want to read it. All I can say is that I really really enjoyed this book. It is sad, happy and everything inbetween. The characters are all great. Enough said, read this

An absolutely refreshing and unputdownable tale of love, deceit, addiction, belonging and secrets hidden by those we thought we knew the best.

Ghost Girl, Banana explores the power and hold money can have over us. When Lily and Maya are given the opportunity to receive half a million pounds, it seems like one of those moments where if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Whilst the offer could be genuine, the Sisters are acutely aware this could come at a cost.

All they have have to do is travel to travel to Hong Kong and sign the paperwork. What would the discover while they're there, why has the money been left to them and would they forever feel indebted to their mysterious benefactor?

Wiz deftly explores parent and sibling relationships, romantic relationships and friendships in a way that instantly feels recognisable. The sacrifices we make for our loved ones and also to feel as though we belong.

Wiz really shines a light on some of the experiences shared by those of mixed heritage and I am eternally grateful for that small insight. I certainly want to strive to read more books like this.

This is a highly evocative and captivating book that follows two parallel timelines; Lily, who is trying to piece together her life as an adult following the death of her parents, and her mother, Sook-Yin who traveled to England in the 60s with the ambition of being a nurse.

It was a little slow to get started, but a few chapters in - and once I got into the groove of the alternating chapters - I could not put this down. There were parts that were messy, but life is messy and the complex and rich lives of the characters and their relationships are very messy. The male characters seemed quite one note, and it felt like something was missing in Lily's storyline and discussing her relationship with her dad. On the whole, however, this is a compelling and thoughtful narrative that sensitively and deftly deals with big questions around colonialism, belonging, identity, grief, mental health and ancestry.

CW: Racism, addiction, death of a parent, suicide

Wow wow wow I loved this book. I have no words to describe how much I adored it. I also cannot believe it’s a debut. The author really hit it out of the park with this one!

1966: Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family. As she strives to fit into a world that does not understand her, she realizes that survival will mean carving out a destiny of her own.

1997: Sook-Yin's daughter Lily can barely remember the mother she lost as a small child. But when she is unexpectedly named in the will of a powerful Chinese stranger, she embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity and claim the reward. But she soon learns that the secrecy around her heritage has deep roots, and good fortune comes at a price. This book follows two timelines that of Lily and her belated mother sook yin. Sook Yin was sent to London to work marrying and returning to Hong Kong she eventually meets her death. Lily travels to Hong Kong to discover her family history and why Hei-fong Lee has left her and her sister Maya millions in his will. The two main protagonists are likeable and you want them to succeed but there are money lenders and sook yin’s brother who give the novel the harsh and often violent parts of the past and current story line . The novel is a powerful story of love, betrayal, racism, sexism, gambling and power. I really enjoyed this debut novel by @wizwharton it is published on May 18 and should be on your wish-lists.

I loved this book! Told from two POVs, it's clever and you won't want to put it down. I was captivated and desperate to see how it ended. Would recommend.

I usually know within the first couple of chapters how much I’m going to enjoy a book but I knew within the first 2 pages that this was one I was going to struggle to put down. There are not enough words for how much I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, clever and the narrative was stunningly intelligent. I couldn’t put it down I was captivated.

Ghost Girl, Banana is gripping and beautiful tale of mother and daughter told across two timelines.

Soon-Yin moves to London in the 1960s to become a nurse but things do not go to plan. She is married and has two children in England before returning home to Hong Kong.

We meet her daughter Lily again in the 1990s and she is not doing so well. A mysterious inheritance leads Lily to Hong Kong where she learns about her history, her family and herself.

Wharton weaves a compelling and thoughtful narrative, considering belonging, ancestry, mental health, grief, racism and colonialism. I thought that the sense of place was particularly strong throughout the novel. Our protagonists were thoughtfully drawn, but I did feel some of the characters on the periphery were a little one dimensional.

I have no doubt a lot of readers will enjoy this story and find something that resonates with them. I also think it would make a great miniseries (hello Apple TV, are you reading this?!)

Pick up this book up if: you’re a fan of Scenes of a Graphic Nature by Caroline O’Donoghue, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee or The Things That We Lost by Jyoti Patel

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautifully written and I enjoyed it very much. I did find Su Yin's relationship with Julian rather odd and couldn't quite see why he'd set his sights on her, only to treat her so badly. Then there is the sister's guilt over her dark secret, the keeping of which causes all sorts of issues. But I thought the ending was very satisfactory as, at last, the story can be unravelled and dealt with.

The story of Sook-Yin, a young Chinese woman adrift in London and her daughter, Lily Miller, an English woman adrift in Hong Kong on the eve of its handover to China.

We learn early on that Sook-Yin died when Lily was barely old enough to remember her. The story of what happened, the suspicious circumstances of her death and how it scars her husband, daughters, so many others caught up in the tragedy – these are what kept me turning the pages.

Bookended by London in 1966 and 1997, the main story takes place in Hong Kong and what a Hong Kong Wiz presents us with! From the sleaziest guesthouses to the most celebrated five-star hotel in town and every other tourist, academic and financial setting in-between, the Hong Kong Tourist Board owes the author a debt for her vivid, sensual evocations of a city on the brink.