Chiu, Christina. Troublemaker and other saints.

Berkley, 278p. c2001. 0-425-18343-2. $12.95. A

Chiu has created a series of short story-like vignettes about three families: the Wongs, the Shengs, and the Tsuis. Chiu's writing is raw, poignant, and realistic. She documents the struggle between the older generation and the younger generation, who want to cast off the old rules of what it means to be Chinese.

Each chapter stands as a whole short story, as Chiu changes the point of view from character to character. In the first chapter, we see the chaotic home life of a teenager struggling with anorexia; in another chapter the reader sees the world through the eyes of an old woman at a cemetery talking to her dead husband. The reader is transported to Hong Kong through the eyes of an older gentleman who trades in valuable antique furniture, to America in the guise of a street punk, to Australia as seen by a young, slick businessman. All of these characters--and more--are interwoven throughout the stories, as Chiu shifts location and time with each subsequent chapter. The reader learns of the outcome of different characters' lives through the gossip of other characters--much like the way one learns about friends, family, and acquaintances in real life.

Chiu is to be commended for her technical skill in blending the elements of the short story and the novel in an intriguing way. Unfortunately, the jumble of characters can be difficult for the reader to keep track of at times. This is definitely a book that must be read a second, or even a third time, to be fully absorbed. There are themes of drugs, gender identity, and sexuality in Troublemaker and Other Saints. Also, there is one sexually explicit scene that is quite graphic, and is unsuitable for younger readers. Janice Bees, Freelance Reviewer, Chicago, IL