WILD SONG

A Filipino girl travels to America to take part in the 1904 World’s Fair and finds herself confronting uncomfortable truths in this story based on real events.

In the U.S.-controlled Philippines, 16-year-old Luki finds herself pushing against the rigid gender expectations of her Bontok community; she’s a skilled hunter and has no desire to marry, although a romantic relationship has blossomed between her and childhood friend Samkad. When members of Indigenous groups, including the Bontoks, are recruited to travel to America to “live in a village built specially” for them at the St. Louis World’s Fair, she jumps at the opportunity. Luki is initially awed by the grandeur of the fair and swept up into a friendship with a charismatic white American woman. But the luster begins to fade as the Filipinos are expected to perform their cultures to suit the expectations of American audiences. As Luki learns unsettling truths, she’s forced to question her place in the fair—and what her life will look like when it ends. The narrative examines the exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the commodification of culture, expertly framed by the moving story of a young woman longing to pave her own path in life. This stand-alone novel revisits characters from Bone Talk (2019) and will be welcomed by fans of Gourlay’s work and new readers alike.

A powerful coming-of-age story exploring identity and exploitation during a little-known historical moment.