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Susan Tsui

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Susan Tsui is the third of four children born to Chinese immigrant parents. She currently lives in New York City where she is a regular user of the Queens Public Library system. She is a strong believer in the value of reading and writing as she thinks doing both can change the individual and the world. Susan currently holds a MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. She has published stories in EXPANDED HORIZONS, MIND FLIGHTS, and the 2010 edition of WARRIOR WISEWOMEN. Susan Tsui is also the author of IDENTITIES: Short Stories and the novel, YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY.

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY Cover
FICTION & LITERATURE

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY

BY Susan Tsui • POSTED ON June 12, 2012

In a future where artificial humans have become common household helpers, a government-employed therapist must question his faith in the system he has long supported.

Orphaned at a young age, Jay was raised by a “humaniform,” a robot programmed as a caretaker. Jay’s older brother, Ian, was 18 when their parents died. Jay loved his robotic mother, and he feels abandoned and betrayed by Ian, who hates humaniforms. When Ian reappears in Jay’s life, he asks Jay to testify that Ian is a responsible enough father to take custody of his children without the help of a humaniform. Jay hopes that Ian might learn to accept humaniforms. But Ian persists in trying to prove that the robots and the government that provides them—the government that Jay works for—are both corrupt and dangerous. As Ian tries to influence Jay’s life, Jay realizes that his wife, Sasha, may not be as sympathetic toward his work as she had always appeared. In order to defend his own position, and protect his childhood memories, Jay must probe into the workings of his world—and he begins to see that there is a sinister element behind his apparently benevolent government. Though Tsui’s setting may not hold up to deep analysis, Jay’s imperfect understanding of it allows readers to see the world through a filtered lens—and share Jay’s horror as he unravels the truth behind the system he thought he knew. His relationships, with humans and humaniforms alike, are genuine in their complexity, and as Jay begins to understand the truth, he ultimately learns how much he values his loved ones. Questions of human identity, illusion versus reality and the types of sacrifice required for true caregiving continually move the story forward.

A compelling narrator drives this strong, sympathetic tale that begets metaphysical soul-searching.

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-0985667603

Page count: 280pp

Publisher: Onieros Press

Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2012

Awards, Press & Interests

Day job

Author

Favorite author

Neil Gaiman

Favorite book

NEVER LET ME GO by Kazuo Ishiguro

Favorite line from a book

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." - TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD by Harper Lee

Favorite word

Tenacious

Hometown

New York City

Passion in life

Too many to choose one

Unexpected skill or talent

The ability to sing while washing the dishes.

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Kirkus Star

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books, 2012

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

YOU SHOULDN'T CALL ME MOMMY: Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books

Interview with Nancy Norbeck, 2013

Book Goodies Interview, 2012

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