Episode Overview

Podcast: NPR's Book of the Day
Episode Title: 'Emergency Contact' explores love in the age of modern technology
Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Lulu Garcia Navarro (aired segment), Andrew Limbong (introduces segment)
Guest: Mary H.K. Choi, author of Emergency Contact

This episode spotlights Mary H.K. Choi’s debut YA novel, Emergency Contact, which delves into the complexities of love, trauma, and connection for teens in the digital age. Choi discusses with Lulu Garcia Navarro how technology enables new forms of intimacy but also intersects with deeper themes of identity, mental health, and the lasting effects of trauma.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Modern Love and Technology

• The novel centers on Penny and Sam, young adults who connect deeply, primarily through text messaging.
• [01:48] Lulu Garcia Navarro: “How do we find a real connection in a device reliant world?”
• Their relationship starts not with a classic 'meet cute' but with a 'meet anxiety', reflecting the realities of mental health and vulnerability among young people.

[02:48] Mary H.K. Choi:
“Yes. It's definitely sort of meet harrowing rather than meet cute. Sam sort of has this panic attack on the street and Penny... sees him and she reaches out to him and they become each other's emergency contact.”

The Concept of "Emergency Contact"

• Choi redefines what an "emergency contact" means—someone who may not be a family member or close friend, but who brings emotional safety in a disconnected world.
• Technology acts as both a shield and a bridge, letting young people connect meaningfully while managing social anxieties.

[03:11] Mary H.K. Choi:
“It's like the tether to the spaceship when you're kind of like free fall floating out in outer space. And I really liked the idea too of having that be someone who lives inside your phone because... it's unencumbered by all this pressure of how you look... And you know, I find texting to be kind of a safe space.”

Broader Themes: Race, Class, Friendship

• The book weaves in issues of race (Penny is Korean American), class (Sam’s housing instability), and the evolving definitions of peer support and friendship.
• Choi wanted a contemporary teen story that honored the enduring emotional experiences of teenagers, even as technology reshapes their world.

[04:28] Mary H.K. Choi:
“No matter how desperate we seem to be taxonomically othering them... a lot of the benchmarks and the experiences are... same for teens through time immemorial... But with a lot of the sort of like bigger themes that are very real.”

Mental Health, Hopelessness, and Adult Expectations

• Choi contrasts notions of precocious digital natives with the reality of adolescent anxiety, depression, and social pressures.
• She emphasizes recognizing the complexity and capability of teens rather than reducing them to stereotypes.

[04:28] Mary H.K. Choi:
“Because teens now, it's this dual thing where they're either like super precocious... or they're hopeless and they're depressed and like anxiety ridden and overmedicated. And I wanted to give them credit and I wanted to let them know that they're seen in some way.”

Trauma and Sexual Assault

• The novel addresses sexual assault and its long-lasting psychological impact. Choi highlights the challenge of defining and coping with trauma—especially when cultural narratives or internet discourse obscure individual experience.
• She draws on her own experiences, opening up about the ambiguity of consent and the immense pressure survivors feel to respond a certain way.

[06:55] Mary H.K. Choi:
“It was really, really painful because I just... There was just a discord. And I was thinking about how there's so much conversation about mutually affirmative consent, and we all know the language... but in each moment when it's just two people and you're wildly inexperienced... you don't know what that's supposed to feel like a lot of the time. And I wanted to introduce some of that ambiguity back in, like, a blameless way...”

Healing, Privacy & Wisdom for Young Readers

• Choi advocates for honoring individual choices in healing and sharing trauma, rejecting the idea that there’s a "right" way to respond or speak out.
• She sees her book as both a time capsule of her own growth and a means of offering hard-won wisdom to younger generations.

[07:50] Mary H.K. Choi:
“What I'm saying is that you don't have to be any type of person in that moment because you are absolutely blameless. And that's something that took me a really, really long time and also a lot of therapy to sort of get to.”

[08:31] Mary H.K. Choi:
“If I can at all share any wisdom that I've collected over my many, many years on planet Earth, and if I can tell it to someone who's younger than me that they can use, like, that's great.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the pressure of public responses to trauma:

  [07:47] Lulu Garcia Navarro: “There's a lot of pressure. To be public.”
  [07:50] Mary H.K. Choi: “There is a lot of pressure... What I'm saying is that you don't have to be any type of person in that moment because you are absolutely blameless.”

• On technology and safety:

  [03:11] Mary H.K. Choi: “I find texting to be kind of a safe space.”

• On intergenerational wisdom:

  [08:31] Mary H.K. Choi: “It’s like, you know, back to the future when Biff has, like, the almanac and makes all those bets... if I can enrich anyone before they get to where I'm at, like, I think that that is time well spent.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:48] Introduction of Emergency Contact’s premise and characters
• [03:08] The meaning of "emergency contact" and the role of technology in connection
• [04:16] Addressing race, class, and friendship in YA literature
• [05:19] Handling of sexual assault and trauma in the story
• [06:53] Mary H.K. Choi’s personal experiences and thoughts on ambiguity in trauma narratives
• [07:47] Discussion on pressures to speak publicly about trauma and the importance of blamelessness
• [08:31] Choi reflects on imparting wisdom through fiction

Tone and Takeaways

Choi’s conversation is empathetic, witty, and deeply honest. She challenges expectations around technology, trauma, and modern adolescence, offering both solidarity and hope to her young audience. Her message is clear: authentic connection and healing may look different for everyone, and literature can serve as both a mirror and a guide.

This episode offers rich takeaways for anyone interested in contemporary YA fiction, the realities of digital-era relationships, and nuanced, compassionate portrayals of trauma.