In Tsaos (The Majesties, 2020) provocative novel, "rebirth" is the process in which pregnant Vivi will give birth to her baby and to a second self that will grow quickly, kill her, and eat her. Her sister, her husband, and her society view rebirth as a generative gift to new mothers: five years of superhuman strength and vigor. But Vivi is scared. She wants the baby, but she doesnt want to be killed and eaten by a new self. . . . This well-structured and deeply compelling novel is about so much more than postpartum struggles literalized into horror. Its about Chinese immigration to Australia in terms of the emotional reasoning, legal processes, and communal experiences. Its also about a marriages expectations and limits in the face of new parentage and depression. Readers know early on that something went wrong with Vivi's rebirth. When the reason is revealed in part two, and a shift in perspective retells the plot from a different lens, readers are treated to a profound exploration of the limits and consequences of love. Booklist (starred)
Tsao (The Majesties) writes an alternative-reality, sci-fi, body-horror thriller contemplating how society fails mothers, the horror of following the status quo, and, most provocatively, what happens when a person is their own victim. . . . Readers will hang on every detail, falling easily into Tsaos novel and its complex, flawed but sympathetic characters and unable to shake the unsettling tone set by the title; they wont be even close to ready for the twist when it drops. A master class in storytelling that will leave readers, if not reborn, forever changed by the experience. Library Journal (starred)
With evocative details and unassuming yet acerbic wit, Tiffany Tsao gives new meaning to matrescence and asks us to considertruly considerthe absurd expectations so often placed on new mothers. The accompanying theme of being minority Chinese in Southeast Asia and Australia also shines through, simultaneously celebration and lamentation. BUT WONT I MISS ME tells all the truth slant in the best possible way. YZ Chin, author of Edge Case
New mothers possess superhuman abilities and sustainable electricity wards off the climate crisis in this clever blend of fantasy and speculative fiction from Tsao. . . Tsao cannily uses the fantastical elements to explore a new mothers anxieties about measuring up to other mothers. Its worth a look. Publishers Weekly
