Lisa See’s Daughters of the Sun and Moon Highlights The Chinese Massacre of 1871 — See the Cover! (Exclusive)

New York Times bestselling author Lisa See’s novel tells the story of a forgotten Los Angeles tragedy that the author herself discovered during the research process.

PEOPLE can exclusively share the cover of Daughters of the Sun and Moon, set to arrive in June from Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. 

“I have long been inspired by history that has been lost, forgotten or deliberately covered up, and in doing the research for Daughters of the Sun and Moon, I found just that,” See says in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE.

The novel brings readers to 1870 Los Angeles and follows the stories of three Chinese women who survived the Chinese Massacre of 1871, which resulted in the lynching of 18 Chinese people at the hands of a mob. The trio must navigate the unique challenges of living in a society in which anti-Chinese sentiment persists, according to an official synopsis.

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“In Daughters of the Sun and Moon, I’m telling the neglected, ignored and mostly forgotten stories of the Chinese women who were here. Not one of them came by choice,” See explains. “They were separated from their families, isolated, and living at the whims of husbands and owners.”

“The three main characters — Moon, Dove and Petal — are inspired by three real women: what brought them to the city, what they experienced during the so-called Night of Horrors and what they did in the aftermath — against the backdrop of an inhospitable and uncivilized pueblo that was striving to become the major city it is today,” the author continues.

As a Chinese-American, See’s own family history drew her to tell the tale of the Chinese Massacre of 1871. 

“My great-grandparents — a mixed-race couple when it was against the law for Chinese and whites to marry — moved to Los Angeles in 1897, because it was seen as being relatively ‘safe,’” See explains.

“My entire extended family wouldn’t be here if not for the courage it took for Fong See and Ticie Pruett to set down their roots just a stone’s throw from where the Night of Horrors began.”

Daughters of the Sun and Moon is See’s 13th novel. Some of her previous works include Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, The Island of Sea Women, Peony in Love and Dreams of Joy.

In 2017, See received the Golden Spike Award from the Chinese Historical Association of Southern California for her novel On Gold Mountain. See was also named the National Woman of the Year by the Organization of Chinese American Women in 2001.

Daughters of the Sun and Moon will be published on June 2, 2026 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.