Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

The term “bat eater” is an important motif in the book, appearing in the title as well. The term is a racist slur that is often used against East Asian Americans, particularly Chinese people, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The term is rooted in one of the theories regarding the virus’s origin through zoonotic transmission from bats in a wet market in China. The use of the term in the title thus immediately foreshadows one of the central aspects of the book while also grounding it within a certain socio-historical context: The racism and violence faced by the East Asian community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The slur appears in the very first chapter, with Delilah’s killer calling her this as he pushes her to her death. The man’s use of this term confirms Delilah’s murder as a hate crime, which is reiterated time and again through the use of bats at all the murders of East Asian women that take place in the book. The white supremacists who carry out the murders use the bats to clearly signal their hatred of East Asian people, marking the victims as having been targeted for their race and ethnicity. Despite the overwhelming presence of bats at these murders, however, the authorities refuse to consider or pursue the issue of a serial killer.