Yellowface Character Analysis

June Hayward (Juniper Song)

June Hayward is a White woman, a Yale grad, and a published author who is nevertheless extremely unhappy because she is not as famous, rich, or popular as her friend and rival, Athena Liu… read analysis of June Hayward (Juniper Song)

Athena Liu

Athena Liu is a wildly successful Chinese American author. In this and other ways, she’s everything that her less successful friend June Hayward wishes to be. Athena dies suddenly after a freak accident (she chokes… read analysis of Athena Liu

Geoff Carlino

Geoff Carlino is Athena Liu’s ex. Once an up-and-coming literary star, his career fizzled after his first book received mostly negative reviews. The novel positions Geoff as a certain kind of faux ally who… read analysis of Geoff Carlino

Candice Lee

Candice Lee is Daniella Woodhouse’s editorial assistant at Eden Press. A young, Korean American woman, Candice very much wants to be part of the publishing industry. She also genuinely cares about diversity and inclusion… read analysis of Candice Lee

Mother

June has a vexed relationship with her mother, who was once a free spirit but who changed drastically over the course of June’s life. June claims that her mother ignores and belittles her because she… read analysis of Mother

Adele Sparks-Sato

Adele Sparks-Sato is a widely-read and well-known literary critic. June initially respects Sparks-Sato and appreciates her work when she’s eviscerating Athena’s books, but she feels very differently when Spark-Sato turns her attention to The… read analysis of Adele Sparks-Sato

Daniella Woodhouse

Daniella Woodhouse is June’s editor at Eden Press. A White woman like June, Daniella also exemplifies the cluelessness of the privileged who are unable or unwilling to see barriers that affect other people. Prior… read analysis of Daniella Woodhouse

Brett

Brett is June’s literary agent. He picked her up after she managed to get a deal for Over the Sycamore and even managed to resell the rights to a major publishing house when June’s… read analysis of Brett

Rory

Rory is June’s older sister. She’s married to Tom, and she has a quiet, normal, suburban life outside of DC. She works as an accountant and isn’t much of a reader. June sees Rory… read analysis of Rory

Mrs. Liu

Mrs. Liu is Athena’s mother. Her understanding of Athena’s long-term friendship with June leads her to ask June to give a eulogy at Athena’s funeral. She treats June with kindness and suspects no wrongdoing… read analysis of Mrs. Liu

Diana Qiu

Diana Qiu is a Chinese American poet and performance artist who ends up on a panel about crafting East Asia-inspired stories with June at a literary festival. Since this is after Geoff has begun to… read analysis of Diana Qiu

Xiao Chen

Xiao Chen is an online influencer with strong opinions about the problems with typical depictions of China and Chinese diaspora experience in contemporary literature. His opinions are so strong (or so strongly stated) that it’s… read analysis of Xiao Chen

Marnie Kimball

Marnie Kimball is a very successful author who works with Daniella Woodhouse, like June, Jen Walker, and Heidi Steel. She’s famous for a series of supernatural romances. She becomes friendly with… read analysis of Marnie Kimball

Jen Walker

Jen Walker is the author of a memoir about her rise to power in the corporate world. Like Heidi and Marnie, she works with Daniella, and she befriends June in the wake of… read analysis of Jen Walker

Emmy Cho

Emmy Cho is a young Koren American writer whom June mentors through a program designed to support writers from underrepresented groups. Although Emmy speaks flatteringly of The Last Front, it’s also clear that she’s… read analysis of Emmy Cho

Mr. James Lee

Mr. James Lee is a member of the Rockville, Maryland chapter of the Chinese American Social Club and the nephew of a member of the Chinese Labour Corps who successfully immigrated to Canada after the… read analysis of Mr. James Lee

Heidi Steel

Heidi Steel is a bestselling romance novelist who works with Daniella Woodhouse. She warmly includes June in conversations at BookCon after The Last Front’s successful debut, although it’s clear that she exists in… read analysis of Heidi Steel

Susan Lee

Susan Lee is the club president of the Rockville, Maryland chapter of the Chinese American Social Club, who invites June to speak at an event. She is clearly surprised—and horrified and offended—when she realizes that… read analysis of Susan Lee

Dr. Gaily

Dr. Gaily is the student health psychiatrist who saw June after her encounter with Andrew. She diagnosed June with an anxiety disorder, provided therapy, and taught June the coping mechanisms she still uses as… read analysis of Dr. Gaily

Minor Characters

Tom

June’s brother-in-law, Tom is married to Rory. He’s an IT professional who helps June track down Geoff Carlino during Geoff’s online harassment of June.

Ailin Zhou

Ailin Zhou is a Chinese American woman and the critically-acclaimed author of a series of speculative historical romances who sits on a panel with Diana Qiu, Noor Rishi, and June Hayward at a Virginia literary festival. When June mispronounces her name, Ailin politely but firmly corrects her.

Skylar Zhao

Skylar is a participant in June’s seminar at the Asian American Writers’ Conference summer program. She’s only a senior in high school, and when she discovers Adele Sparks-Sato’s allegations about June plagiarizing Mother Witch (and possibly The Last Front), June bullies her mercilessly in revenge.

Noor Rishi

Noor Rishi is a civil rights lawyer and author of young adult fiction who sits on a very tense discussion panel with Diana Qiu, Ailin Zhou, and June Hayward at a Virginia literary festival.

Annie Brosch

Annie Brosch is the moderator of the tense panel in which Diana Qiu, Noor Rishi, Ailin Zhou, and June Hayward participate during the Virginia literary festival.

Lily Wu

Lily Wu is a Chinese American sophomore at MIT who confronts June about the potential for cultural appropriation in The Last Front, both in person at a book event and subsequently online.

Garrett McKintosh

Garret McKintosh is June’s second editor at the major publishing house that eventually picks up her first novel, Over the Sycamore. He is unsupportive of June and has clearly written off her career. But in the end, he hurts his own career by missing out on The Last Front.

Todd Byrne

Todd Byrne is a lawyer at Eden Press called in to help diffuse the situation after Adele Sparks-Sato credibly accuses June of plagiarizing Athena’s work for Mother Witch.

Kimberly Deng

Kimberly Deng is a UCLA undergrad and an online influencer who becomes one of June’s (and The Last Front’s) early detractors.

Emily

Emily is a publicist at Eden Press who works with June on The Last Front and Mother Witch and tries to help her weather the scandals that arise surrounding both books.

Jessica

Jessica is a digital marketing expert who works for Eden Press and is part of June’s publicity team there.

Justin

Justin in the Greenhouse co-founder and executive who meets with June to discuss purchasing the rights to turn The Last Front into a movie.

Andrew

Andrew was a sophomore with whom June briefly had a complicated, potentially coercive sexual entanglement when she was a freshman at Yale.

Johnson Chen

Johnson Chen is a participant in June’s seminar at the Asian American Writers’ Collective’s summer workshop.

Yellowface Characters