Touch the past or wash it away? Two sisters have a choice in this unforgettable short story of everyday magic and the power of memory by the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Ken Liu.
Gui is a professional cleaner at A Fresh Start, scrubbing away the unpleasant layers of memory that build up on the personal objects of his customers. Memory-blind himself, he can't feel those wounds. Clara can, and she prefers them irretrievable. Until her sister, Beatrice, ultrasensitive to memory, raises one that could change Clara's mind. For Gui, the past is gone. For Clara and Beatrice, deciding what to remember reaches to the heart of their shared history.
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Gui's father ran the cleaning shop for twenty years before Gui was born, and then another twenty after.
GUI
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(Amazon Original Stories, 15 December 2020, ebook, 28 pages, borrowed from @AmazonKindle, #PrimeReading)
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This is my first time reading the author. This was a very different story than the one I expected, a very interesting blend of fairy-tale and a sprinkling of futuristic / sci-fi. I thought it was very original. I'll check out more of the author's work. There's something really appealing about this story. I loved the idea of people being able to read emotions and memories just by touch so take objects which include second hand or owned items tainted with the memories of bad life experiences such as everything your ex has touched to specialist cleaners to not just physically wash the item but clean away all the memories especially negative or painful ones. Gui is a unique character as he can touch items and get no imprint of memories. The story is told from the POV of three different characters including Gui and someone who wants him to clean every item her ex has touched. I didn't want this amazing tale to end.