Semi-finalist, 2017 Thurber Prize for American Humor Marty Wu, compulsive reader of advice manuals, is easily flustered. A spectacular career meltdown in New York sends her reeling to Taiwan and the comfort of supportive relatives, but even there, Marty is entangled in domestic drama: a formidable mother who’s impossible to please, an annoyingly successful and well-adjusted brother, and surprising family secrets that pop up just when she doesn’t want to deal with them. Mining the comedic potential of the 1.5-generation American experience, Not a Self-Help Book is an insightful and witty portrait of a young woman scrambling to balance familial expectations and her own creative dreams. Born in Taiwan and raised in the United States, debut novelist Yi Shun Lai has written everything from copy for lingerie catalogs to articles about the great outdoors. She lives in Southern California with her husband and dog.