Elizabeth Lim is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, including A Forgery of Fate, Six Crimson Cranes, and Spin the Dawn. An alumna of Harvard College and the Juilliard School, she grew up in Northern California and now lives in New York with her husband and her daughters. Fishbone Cinderella is her adult debut.

"A vividly realized, heartbreakingly evocative exploration of love in all its forms--from the destructive to the transformative--Elizabeth Lim's adult debut cements her as one of the brightest voices in fiction. Don't miss this masterpiece."--Kiersten White, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fox and the Devil

"A gorgeous, haunting story of magic, memory and loss. Fishbone Cinderella is an aching exploration of the lengths we go to to protect the ones we love, and the bonds between mothers and daughters in all their forms. Lim's story has all the hallmarks of a new fable: elegant, atmospheric, and resonant across time and space."--Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

"Elizabeth Lim's dazzling Fishbone Cinderella is an enthralling fairy tale traced against the richly evocative and lusciously detailed backdrop of Hong Kong and Berkeley in the 1940s and '60s, where uncertainty and love bloom. Thought-provoking and heartfelt, this book is a must-read for historical fiction fans."--Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Fox Wife

"Everything you want in a book--mothers and daughters bound by love and fracture; an aching, fate-twined romance; women carrying the weight of inherited magic; and a sweeping history that crosses borders and generations--Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim is utterly
unforgettable."--Stacey Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl

"Lim dazzles in her dark and deftly woven adult debut. . . . Blending the historically grounded and complex mother-daughter narratives of Amy Tan with the rich fantasy of Yangsze Choo, this stunning tale will delight. . . . This is a gem."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

Publisher: Del Rey Books

Pub date: 2026-07-28

Length: 448 pages