Troublemaker and Other Saints

Overview

Wild and eclectic members of three Chinese families clash and connect in a series of intertwined stories of family, sex, disillusionment, and love. "Fresh, daring, Troublemaker and Other Saints introduces an exciting new voice that eagerly explores the neither-here-nor-thereness of young Chinese-Americans as they bridge the gap between two complex and troubling social orders with humor, pathos, and heart. How often have you heard the phrase 'a writer to watch' Christina Chiu is a writer to read." --Helen Schulman In Troublemaker and Other Saints, the life of one character weaves into that of another, and then another, as unlikely figures are brought face to face, strengthening and illuminating one another in surprising ways. But who are the troublemakers Who are the saints In "Troublemaker," a young tough finds his humanity when he is forced to care for an old man he has assaulted with a beer can. In "Doctor," a family's golden child marries a black man and is shunned by everyone--except her schizophrenic uncle.

Editorial Reviews

Tragedy and epiphany strike with equal force in this collection of 11 related short stories featuring the Chinese-American members of an extended network of family, friends, lovers and neighbors combating their private and public shames and struggling to find a place to call home. In "Troublemaker," Eric Tsui, a teenager growing up in a squalid corner of New York's Chinatown, suffers physical abuse at the hands of his brother and rediscovers both his national identity and his humanity when he's forced to reconcile with an elderly neighbor he injured in a prank. Eric's abusive brother, Jonathan, resurfaces in two other stories: "Trader," in which his engagement falls apart when his fiance is overwhelmed by his uncontrollable anger and feelings of inferiority at being Asian, and "Gentleman," in which he participates in a dramatic one-night stand in Hong Kong on the night of the handover. After years of racial slurs, his Hong Kong lover, Amy, an "Asian beauty," turns the Asian sexual fetish on its head, trying to regain her sense of self-worth through encounters with men she meets through the personals; in "Beauty," she brings white men to their knees, but her thoughts drift to the only Chinese lover she's had, Jonathan. The list of issues confronted in the stories is grim domestic violence, suicide, crime, sexual abuse, anorexia, racism and yet Chiu somehow manages to avoid cynicism or despair. Torn between the Asian inclination to save face and the American penchant for sharing troubles and emotions, her characters are tenderly and skillfully drawn, and, as the title suggests, most ultimately find redemption. In sharp, witty, heartbreaking prose, Chui communicates the Asian-American experience as adeptly and freshly as Sherman Alexie describes the Native American experience, or Junot D!az defines Latino life in the U.S. (Mar. 5) Forecast: Advance praise is already pouring in for this impressive collection it is an alternate selection for BOMC and QPB, and a nominee for a BOMC First Fiction Award, and likely will be one of the most talked-about literary debuts of the year. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Author Information

Bio of Christina Chiu

Christina Chiu is a writer and editor who has worked for the Brooklyn Museum, the Asian American Writers' Workshop, Children's Television Workshop, and Scholastic, Inc. A graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, she currently lives in New York City.

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Additional Info

Imprint

Penguin Group E-Books

Filesize

494.19 KB

Number of Pages

288

eBook ISBN

9780786581726