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The Honeyeater
A wildly inventive follow up to the acclaimed bestseller A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, winner of the ABIA for Literary Fiction Book of the Year.
'Translation is longing. You never get it right.'
Young academic and emerging translator Fay takes her mother on a package tour holiday to France to celebrate her birthday. It's a chance for the two of them to take a break from work and have a little fun, but they both find it hard to relax. Her mother seems reluctant to leave their room in the evening, and Fay is working on a difficult translation. On their last night in France, Fay receives the shattering news that her former lover has suddenly died. Back in Sydney, Fay seeks solace from her mentor, Professor Samantha Egan-Smith, who offers her a spot at a prestigious translation conference in Taipei. But can she trust her? Does the Professor know more than she is admitting, or is Fay being paranoid? When a shocking allegation is made, Fay chooses to keep it secret. Is she protecting the Professor or exercising power over her? Fay arrives at the conference in Taipei. Career opportunities abound, but it's ghost month in Taiwan. Her mother had begged her not to go at that time, warning that she would be susceptible to dangers and threats. And there is almost nothing a mother won't do to protect her child. A wildly inventive, chilling and intoxicating story of betrayal, ambition and love, The Honeyeater confirms that Jessie Tu is one of our most original and exciting writers.
Praise for A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous
'With A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, Tu has made a remarkable and strong entry into the national literary scene.' – Australian Book Review
'An excellent debut…Tu eschews the idea of victimhood while staying aware of the persistence of patterns of structural social inequity.' – The Weekend Australian
'Fresh and energetic…this is a raw and illuminating glimpse into the world of a child prodigy.' – Canberra Times
'A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing is fiercely observant and daring, shining a spotlight on an Australian experience that is vastly underrepresented.' – Mamamia
'A fascinating and intense debut that challenges systemic racism and misogyny in the progressive artistic world…confronting, brilliant and original, Jessie Tu is an incredible new voice in Australian literature.' – Readings
'Tu's writing is piercing, with a staccato tone blending sections of intensity and quiet...The result is an absorbing, occasionally confronting and captivating first novel. In Jena Lin, Jessie Tu has crafted a memorable character – and we hope for more.' – The Sydney Morning Herald
'Bold, enthralling and sharp.' – Vogue
'Translation is longing. You never get it right.'
Young academic and emerging translator Fay takes her mother on a package tour holiday to France to celebrate her birthday. It's a chance for the two of them to take a break from work and have a little fun, but they both find it hard to relax. Her mother seems reluctant to leave their room in the evening, and Fay is working on a difficult translation. On their last night in France, Fay receives the shattering news that her former lover has suddenly died. Back in Sydney, Fay seeks solace from her mentor, Professor Samantha Egan-Smith, who offers her a spot at a prestigious translation conference in Taipei. But can she trust her? Does the Professor know more than she is admitting, or is Fay being paranoid? When a shocking allegation is made, Fay chooses to keep it secret. Is she protecting the Professor or exercising power over her? Fay arrives at the conference in Taipei. Career opportunities abound, but it's ghost month in Taiwan. Her mother had begged her not to go at that time, warning that she would be susceptible to dangers and threats. And there is almost nothing a mother won't do to protect her child. A wildly inventive, chilling and intoxicating story of betrayal, ambition and love, The Honeyeater confirms that Jessie Tu is one of our most original and exciting writers.
Praise for A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous
'With A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, Tu has made a remarkable and strong entry into the national literary scene.' – Australian Book Review
'An excellent debut…Tu eschews the idea of victimhood while staying aware of the persistence of patterns of structural social inequity.' – The Weekend Australian
'Fresh and energetic…this is a raw and illuminating glimpse into the world of a child prodigy.' – Canberra Times
'A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing is fiercely observant and daring, shining a spotlight on an Australian experience that is vastly underrepresented.' – Mamamia
'A fascinating and intense debut that challenges systemic racism and misogyny in the progressive artistic world…confronting, brilliant and original, Jessie Tu is an incredible new voice in Australian literature.' – Readings
'Tu's writing is piercing, with a staccato tone blending sections of intensity and quiet...The result is an absorbing, occasionally confronting and captivating first novel. In Jena Lin, Jessie Tu has crafted a memorable character – and we hope for more.' – The Sydney Morning Herald
'Bold, enthralling and sharp.' – Vogue
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
60 people are currently reading
1789 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Tu
5 books100 followersJessie Tu is a book critic at The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, and a journalist for Women's Agenda. Her debut novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, won the ABIA for 2020 Literary Fiction Book of the Year. The Honeyeater is her second novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
July 1, 2024
'I wanted to be a truth-teller. Someone whose job it is to tell someone's truth'.
'The Honeyeater' dives into the world of literary translation and Fay's quest for personal acclaim within it. Having assisted her professor for a number of years as well as teaching her own students, surely she can finally take her place at the annual conference in Taipei. But the matter of her ex-lover unexpectedly dying and the subsequent short investigation into his untimely death really does seem to complicate her simple ambition.
Literary fiction is a funny genre - as it's not explicitly about anything, it could be about anything. For me, 'The Honeyeater' is about power dynamics within relationships and the ability to translate exemplifies this: mother/ daughter, teacher/student, employer/employee, man/woman. To articulate someone's words, their intention, to in a sense become them, is to have power over them. Translation is more than the literal, it is contextual and nuanced. In some languages, only a slight incorrect inflection can utterly misinform. In 'The Honeyeater', it is as much about what is said as what is not, 'Deception was easy. It merely required the omission of fact'.
I found this story to be a unique read that I enjoyed. Not only from exploring relationships but also a bit of a murder mystery that has a few twists.
'The Honeyeater' dives into the world of literary translation and Fay's quest for personal acclaim within it. Having assisted her professor for a number of years as well as teaching her own students, surely she can finally take her place at the annual conference in Taipei. But the matter of her ex-lover unexpectedly dying and the subsequent short investigation into his untimely death really does seem to complicate her simple ambition.
Literary fiction is a funny genre - as it's not explicitly about anything, it could be about anything. For me, 'The Honeyeater' is about power dynamics within relationships and the ability to translate exemplifies this: mother/ daughter, teacher/student, employer/employee, man/woman. To articulate someone's words, their intention, to in a sense become them, is to have power over them. Translation is more than the literal, it is contextual and nuanced. In some languages, only a slight incorrect inflection can utterly misinform. In 'The Honeyeater', it is as much about what is said as what is not, 'Deception was easy. It merely required the omission of fact'.
I found this story to be a unique read that I enjoyed. Not only from exploring relationships but also a bit of a murder mystery that has a few twists.
June 23, 2024
I was a huge fan of A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing. Jessie Tu's debut was clever, fresh and bursting with energy. So I was very excited to receive access to an early copy of her follow up novel The Honeyeater via @netgalley. Even more excited when the lovely @anopenbookshelf shared an extra hard copy with me. Thanks Camella!
So it absolutely pains me to say that I didn't love this book. I am very sure I will be in the minority here. Tu is an incredible writer and this was an engaging read in many ways however through the whole experience I felt like I was being hit over the head with a message that I wasn't getting. That sounds so weird I know but the whole plot just didn't seem to have any point for me.
The book is centred on Fay who is a literary translator, translating English books into Taiwanese. She lives with her mother. She has recently ended a dubious relationship with a colleague. She has a close relationship with her female professor turned employer. The book examines the power dynamics in all of these different relationships.
At the start Fay takes a trip to Paris with her mother which neither seems to enjoy much and I couldn't see the point of it except to take her away from Australia when her former lover dies unexpectedly. The book ends with a trip to a translation conference in Taipei where more relationships are uncovered.
The art of translation is a so fascinating and there were definitely some interesting themes at play with Fay's work but while I had moments of understanding mostly I felt like I couldn't get a handle on what this book was trying to say. I really wish The Honeyeater had done it for me but sadly this was a miss for me.
Thank you to @netgalley and @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
So it absolutely pains me to say that I didn't love this book. I am very sure I will be in the minority here. Tu is an incredible writer and this was an engaging read in many ways however through the whole experience I felt like I was being hit over the head with a message that I wasn't getting. That sounds so weird I know but the whole plot just didn't seem to have any point for me.
The book is centred on Fay who is a literary translator, translating English books into Taiwanese. She lives with her mother. She has recently ended a dubious relationship with a colleague. She has a close relationship with her female professor turned employer. The book examines the power dynamics in all of these different relationships.
At the start Fay takes a trip to Paris with her mother which neither seems to enjoy much and I couldn't see the point of it except to take her away from Australia when her former lover dies unexpectedly. The book ends with a trip to a translation conference in Taipei where more relationships are uncovered.
The art of translation is a so fascinating and there were definitely some interesting themes at play with Fay's work but while I had moments of understanding mostly I felt like I couldn't get a handle on what this book was trying to say. I really wish The Honeyeater had done it for me but sadly this was a miss for me.
Thank you to @netgalley and @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy.
August 1, 2024
I wanted to like this... but I didn't. For me it was too slow at the start then when it was getting better towards the end it just finished.
August 18, 2024
I found it hard to put down, and enjoyed the ride. But I could not settle on what the ending meant.
August 25, 2024
This book was trying so hard to be mysterious and deep, but the prose, pace and plot was all over the place. The first third could have been from a completely different novel. Not sure why I had to be traumatised by Fay wanting to have sex with her mother when ultimately it was irrelevant to the story. Too many threads were never answered and god am I tired of stories about young women who can’t resist older married men. At least it was a quick read.
July 8, 2025
i liked how the author treaded lightly over new and sensitive territory, like the idea of a parental-child bond that imitates romance. i am evidently the dumbest person alive because i could not foresee a single twist and kept becoming agog on the metro. i thought the pacing was good until the end where it became plot twist central. how many times can one be agog on the metro! i shut my damn mouth and got mildly sick of it. but some very interesting themes and an enjoyable read
January 7, 2025
hmm. i couldn’t put this book down however i’d say i hated it. the book starts out focusing on the complexities of a mother/daughter relo, then goes into the translating world of minority stories, and THEN IS A MURDER MYSTERY WHERE TWO PEOPLE DIE????? and so many people are random illegitimate children???? AND THEN THE INCEST????????? like WHY! such a weird ending with no explanation at all. i’m not sure what this author wanted to get out of this book but it was pretty bad. only positive was the easy writing that made me finish it in 4 hours
August 2, 2024
Not my cup of tea at all. Pages and pages of slow nothingness. An almost DNF.
July 25, 2024
The world of literary translation is small but fickle and full of death! Tu weaves a complex web of characters around Fay, a characteristically intelligent, introverted and calculated young woman who lives with her mother in Telopea and works at The University of Sydney. Fay’s inner-world is joy-less and anxiety filled as she navigates her career as a literary translator, her supervisor’s fame and her ex-lover’s death.
The book begins with a trip to France Fay gifts to her mother which is a startlingly accurate presentation of holidaying with one’s parent- a constant balance between trying to please them and cringing at the interactions they have with other tourists and locals. This is set against flashbacks of interactions Fay had with her ex- the brilliant literary translator James and filled with the longing one feels after a breakup. The yearning, depression and low self confidence is reminiscent of her first novel yet Fay seems to have little more chutzpah than Tu’s Lonely Girl. These scenes were very strong, funny and familiar, Tu’s strength as a writer really shines throughout.
Back home in Australia, her supervisor is found dead and Fay is tormented by his late wife. The worlds created in Australia, France and Taiwan could have been from three different books - the life Fay leads in Australia reads very lonely and small. Fay works hard for little reward, as does her mother, no doubt a common situation for many migrants and first generation Australians. In Taiwan, the air is thick and the culture thriving, ghosts abound and the bitchy, cut-throat world of literary translation rears its ugly head.
I loved learning about Taiwanese culture, I wish there was more of this as well as more word play/translation syntax (perhaps this went over my head as a non-Taiwanese speaker). The magnolias, brooches, scarves and coat were strong motifs although I was hoping for more ghosts. The story Fay translates is confronting and jarring - I would have loved more around this as well as the romantic feelings Fay has towards her mother. On the other hand, these themes are probably best not examined in too much detail.
Another wonderful book from one of Australia’s best young authors! Five stars.
The book begins with a trip to France Fay gifts to her mother which is a startlingly accurate presentation of holidaying with one’s parent- a constant balance between trying to please them and cringing at the interactions they have with other tourists and locals. This is set against flashbacks of interactions Fay had with her ex- the brilliant literary translator James and filled with the longing one feels after a breakup. The yearning, depression and low self confidence is reminiscent of her first novel yet Fay seems to have little more chutzpah than Tu’s Lonely Girl. These scenes were very strong, funny and familiar, Tu’s strength as a writer really shines throughout.
Back home in Australia, her supervisor is found dead and Fay is tormented by his late wife. The worlds created in Australia, France and Taiwan could have been from three different books - the life Fay leads in Australia reads very lonely and small. Fay works hard for little reward, as does her mother, no doubt a common situation for many migrants and first generation Australians. In Taiwan, the air is thick and the culture thriving, ghosts abound and the bitchy, cut-throat world of literary translation rears its ugly head.
I loved learning about Taiwanese culture, I wish there was more of this as well as more word play/translation syntax (perhaps this went over my head as a non-Taiwanese speaker). The magnolias, brooches, scarves and coat were strong motifs although I was hoping for more ghosts. The story Fay translates is confronting and jarring - I would have loved more around this as well as the romantic feelings Fay has towards her mother. On the other hand, these themes are probably best not examined in too much detail.
Another wonderful book from one of Australia’s best young authors! Five stars.
July 31, 2024
I don’t know how I feel about this book.
There’s something about it that held my attention but at the same time I felt like I was missing the point of the plot. To echo the review of another reader, I also struggled to figure out what the book was trying to say.
Gaining some insight into the world of translating was fun and definitely a highlight for me - and that cover is B E A U T I F U L 🌹
I loved a Lonely Girl and hoped I’d feel the same way about The Honeyeater. Definitely a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’. Jessie Tu is an incredibly creative and talented writer and I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future.
There’s something about it that held my attention but at the same time I felt like I was missing the point of the plot. To echo the review of another reader, I also struggled to figure out what the book was trying to say.
Gaining some insight into the world of translating was fun and definitely a highlight for me - and that cover is B E A U T I F U L 🌹
I loved a Lonely Girl and hoped I’d feel the same way about The Honeyeater. Definitely a case of ‘it’s not you, it’s me’. Jessie Tu is an incredibly creative and talented writer and I look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the future.
July 4, 2024
*3.5 stars RTC 😍
October 3, 2024
I hated this book. I truly do. I was hoping for it to be more than it was. It was pointless, stupid and a waste of time. It was a pretentious novel written by an author with an overinflated opinion of herself and her writings. Her hubris laid bare on paper. A novel that served no purpose with a useless plot and unlikable characters.
September 7, 2024
“The ultimate form of compressed living - Everyday life suspended in search of some beauty.”
Fay is a young academic and leader in the translating industry. Fay’s relations go with her mother is complicated, yet she fulfills her life long dream of going to France to celebrate her mother’s birthday. Neither of them can relax, yet try to make the most of their time together.
Towards the end of their adventure Fay receives news her lover dies suddenly. She try’s to navigate through her emotions with finding comfort in her profession. Who offers her a place in the prestigious translation conference in Taipei.
Fay goes, against her mother’s wishes. Trust is broke, secrets are spoken and Fay is left feeling like she cannot the light. The end comes crashing down like a tidal wave, and the collateral damage leaves you on the edge of your seat.
There’s no denying I absolutely loved Tu’s first novel A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Tu’s second novel. It exceeded my expectations, I was reading it on the way into the office and couldn’t put it down or focus until I consumed it.
The writing it perfection and Tu’s characters yet again challenge the social norms. It’s confronting and bold and full of diluted MC feelings. Fay from the outside has it all yet underneath she’s struggling with it all, life, her mother, lover and work.
Dare I say this book won’t be for everyone, but for me it was utter perfection, raw, original and pushes boundaries. Bravo Tu on another incredible novel.
Fay is a young academic and leader in the translating industry. Fay’s relations go with her mother is complicated, yet she fulfills her life long dream of going to France to celebrate her mother’s birthday. Neither of them can relax, yet try to make the most of their time together.
Towards the end of their adventure Fay receives news her lover dies suddenly. She try’s to navigate through her emotions with finding comfort in her profession. Who offers her a place in the prestigious translation conference in Taipei.
Fay goes, against her mother’s wishes. Trust is broke, secrets are spoken and Fay is left feeling like she cannot the light. The end comes crashing down like a tidal wave, and the collateral damage leaves you on the edge of your seat.
There’s no denying I absolutely loved Tu’s first novel A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Tu’s second novel. It exceeded my expectations, I was reading it on the way into the office and couldn’t put it down or focus until I consumed it.
The writing it perfection and Tu’s characters yet again challenge the social norms. It’s confronting and bold and full of diluted MC feelings. Fay from the outside has it all yet underneath she’s struggling with it all, life, her mother, lover and work.
Dare I say this book won’t be for everyone, but for me it was utter perfection, raw, original and pushes boundaries. Bravo Tu on another incredible novel.
December 8, 2024
Engaging, intelligent, and creative. The plot twists are unexpected yet powerful and make sense with the story. The ending is brilliant!
August 10, 2025
Suspenseful, intriguing tale set in the world of academia, complete with skilful use of language and engaging characters, and full of deception and philandering. The reader is not sure who to trust. I enjoyed the mother-daughter relationship. Kept me interested to the end.
May 19, 2025
I just don't think I'm a fan of Tu's work. This is another example of a very unlikable main character who does very questionable things and seems to act as though everyone else is in the wrong. In this case, Fay has very little moral questionings over her affair with a married man who happens to be her boss's husband, and yet is pressed when she finds out she was not the only one he was cheating with.
Her relationship with her mother is also a main focus of the novel, and I found it very strange and chaotic at times, whilst still being incredibly vague. No real answers were given about Fay's father and her mothers relationship with him.
Much of the time I found Fay quite callous and calculated, and had no real insight into her motivations or reasoning despite her being the main perspective of the novel.
The ending is also very ambiguous. Overall, I just wasn't a fan.
Her relationship with her mother is also a main focus of the novel, and I found it very strange and chaotic at times, whilst still being incredibly vague. No real answers were given about Fay's father and her mothers relationship with him.
Much of the time I found Fay quite callous and calculated, and had no real insight into her motivations or reasoning despite her being the main perspective of the novel.
The ending is also very ambiguous. Overall, I just wasn't a fan.
November 23, 2024
This reminds me of yellow face (thriller-ish and involves strong but crazy female characters) but far more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the relationship between Fay and her mother and could relate to a few things - having a Chinese mother myself. I’m still not sure what happened at the end so I’d love to know everyone’s interpretation.
It was a great insight into the lives of literary interpreters but I would’ve loved to get to know the characters more. This definitely could’ve been longer and more detailed. I preferred A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous Thing, however I love the way Jessie writes so I’d probably read anything of hers.
It was a great insight into the lives of literary interpreters but I would’ve loved to get to know the characters more. This definitely could’ve been longer and more detailed. I preferred A Lonely Girl Is A Dangerous Thing, however I love the way Jessie writes so I’d probably read anything of hers.
May 17, 2025
Book starts with some of the clunkiest prose I've seen in published work, reminds me of tutoring Year 10 English students. From there it improves to be readable yet unsophisticated. Many themes and lines of story are introduced without satisfactory conclusion, it squanders the potential of multiple themes. The book could do with being highly edited, one aspect still confusing me is the book's 'Part One', 'Part Two' etc. are all bound to a location and date yet the chapters within the section often will take place in the past or different settings or the character will spend their time in the unique setting reflecting on the past. Weird!
January 31, 2025
Flew through this (beach may have helped). I also like Tu a lot and enjoy what she writes. Some of the writing is great in the way she subtly and unexpectedly reveals things but some things were a little too ambiguous and I kinda missed - like the ending! First chapter was brilliant though. Loved how she revealed the affair etc in such a deadpan way. And the world of translating was fascinating to read about.
February 17, 2025
DNF 30% - I wanted to like the premise of the story - travelling to Paris with mum. Taiwanese woman grown up overseas and the inter generational interaction. Her interesting job as a translator and some language differences that kind of thing. The plot was a bit slow with the trip and hard to follow the journey of the different cities they visited. The main reason I just couldn’t continue is there was just a lot of strange incestuous references that were just too uncomfortable for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2024
I want to like this book more than I did. The story and the buildup is brilliant. The characters are intricate and interesting. However I can’t get past the start.
Most novels usually are stated to have lost the plot but with this novel I feel like it’s lost from the start and then manages to find itself towards the end.
Most novels usually are stated to have lost the plot but with this novel I feel like it’s lost from the start and then manages to find itself towards the end.
December 4, 2024
I devoured this in a day so it must have caught me somehow. All the characters were flawed and had complex relationships. At times I couldn’t tell what the point of mentioning some things were. The ending leaves you with lots unresolved but I suppose a joy of speculation.
July 12, 2024
3.5 🌟
‘the ultimate form of compressed living – everyday life suspended in search of some beauty. It is a temporal experience of other possibilities…’
‘the ultimate form of compressed living – everyday life suspended in search of some beauty. It is a temporal experience of other possibilities…’
December 14, 2024
An absolutely fascinating insight into the world, and art of literary translation, which I adored!
January 4, 2025
Had no expectations but this was great and I wish it continued!!
January 5, 2025
This book disturbed on so many levels. The treatment of the main character by her teachers and mentors, and her passive acceptance of this in particular. A final twist towards the end redeems it somewhat however leaves you with more questions than answers.
February 2, 2025
This book just wasn’t for me. I found Fay to be an unlikeable and morally complex protagonist, which made it harder to connect with the story at times.
March 7, 2025
3.5 stars
September 22, 2024
3.5 stars
Reading (coincidentally) after 'Yellow Face' this book also touches on ‘cultural whitewashing’ by editors. An interesting read.
Reading (coincidentally) after 'Yellow Face' this book also touches on ‘cultural whitewashing’ by editors. An interesting read.
January 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
After reading this, I am frustrated!! It was so good but the first 150 pages could have been 20 pages.
Cut the first 150 pages out of the book and add another 50 on the end.
This is Yellowface’s second cousin once removed who’s interested in the world of translations who also needs a confidence boost and a lesson in pacing!!
After reading this, I am frustrated!! It was so good but the first 150 pages could have been 20 pages.
Cut the first 150 pages out of the book and add another 50 on the end.
This is Yellowface’s second cousin once removed who’s interested in the world of translations who also needs a confidence boost and a lesson in pacing!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews