An epic and emotional story of three spirited women - a mother, her daughter, their maid - during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

  • — NGUYEN PHAN QUE MAI, global best-selling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child.

    'A heart-breaking, moving, and soaring novel. An important literary feat from from an exciting new voice. Emma Pei Yin uncovers the hidden history of Hong Kong and lets us befriend the women who have the power to transform us as we witness their journeys of self-discovery and survival'

  • — JUHEA KIM, internationally bestselling author of Beasts of a Little Land

    'With vivid historicity and deeply relatable characters, When Sleeping Women Wake is a lushly romantic and impassioned story of women's agency and resilience'

  • — WEINA DAI RANDEL, award-winning author of The Master Jeweler

    'Compelling, beautiful, and deeply moving, When Sleeping Women Wake is a powerful tribute to the forgotten women and men who fought and resisted during a dark period of Hong Kong's history . . . Emma Pei Yin is a talent to watch!'

  • — WIZ WHARTON, author of Ghost Girl, Banana

    'A breathtaking, important story of family, love and endurance told with unflinching clarity and beauty, this is historical fiction at its finest. I urge you to read this book'

  • —ASHTON LATTIMORE, author of All We Were Promised

    “I devoured Emma Pei Yin’s heart-rending, transportive, and action-packed When Sleeping Women Wake in a single day. Brimming with intrigue and fascinating history, this sweeping story brings to life beautifully drawn characters and paints a gripping portrait of the strength of women’s bonds.”

  • — EVE J. CHUNG, author of Daughters of Shandong

    'Yin’s debut is a riveting account of the resistance of three very different women during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong—not only against the occupation, but against the traditions that bound them. These are women’s stories beautifully intertwined with history brought to life!'