The Fox Wife

I just finished The Fox Wife (2024) by Yangsze Choo. Delightful!

I listened to the audiobook, which was also read by Yangsze Choo.

It takes place in Manchuria and Japan in 1908 and, as the title implies, involves fox folklore. Throughout Asia, a fox is a shapeshifter, known as the húli jīng (fox spirit) in China, the kitsune (fox) in Japan, and the kumiho (nine-tailed fox) in Korea.

You might know Vulpix (vulpes is Latin for fox; that is where we get the English word vulpine) from Pokémon, which evolves into Ninetales. Vulpix has only six tails, but Ninetales does indeed have nine.

Three of the main characters are foxes, who are fascinating. But I think I was most drawn to another character, Bao, who is human.