Writer Amanda Lee Koe joins us to discuss her new book, Sister Snake, with Actress Zoë Chao.

A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters—one in New York, one in Singapore—who are bound by an ancient secret

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim and using her charms to make ends meet. But they share a secret: once, they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her—but she soon begins to worry that Emerald’s irrepressible behavior will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Razor-sharp, hilarious, and raw in emotion, Sister Snake explores chosen family, queerness, passing, and the struggle against conformity. Reimagining the Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake,” this is a novel about being seen for who you are—and, ultimately, how to live free.

At this event, Amanda Lee Koe will discuss her new book with Zoë Chao

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Amanda Lee Koe was born and raised in Singapore and has lived in New York, Beijing, Berlin and Bangkok. Her debut novel, Delayed Rays of a Star (Doubleday, 2019) was named a Most Anticipated Title by ELLE, Los Angeles Times, Thrillist, and USA Today, and one of NPR’s Best Books of The Year. Amanda has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, PEN America, the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, the National Arts Council of Singapore, and the Fóndation Jan Michalski. She was previously fiction editor of Esquire Singapore.

Zoë Chao can most recently be seen in Peacock’s sci-fi rom-com IF YOU WERE THE LAST opposite Anthony Mackie and in the Netflix romantic comedy, YOUR PLACE OR MINE, opposite Reese Witherspoon. In December, Zoë can be seen in Marielle Heller’s NIGHTBITCH opposite Amy Adams and soon also, in James Gunn’s animated series CREATURES COMMANDOS. Chao is also in the newest season of STARZ’s cult favorite PARTY DOWN. And in Apple’s two seasons of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s murder mystery comedy, THE AFTERPARTY. Chao was awarded the “Actress Award for Television” at the Inaugural Critics Choice Association Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television for her work on the show. Zoë was also named one of Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch in 2024.