Amy Tan, The Kitchen God’s Wife
Not from my list, but I can never say no to Amy Tan. Ever since reading The Joy Luck Club for a class many moons ago, I have enjoyed going back to Tan’s fiction. This, in many ways, is similar to The Joy Luck Club. The novel explores the tumultuous relationship between a mother and a daughter, a relationship that is fraught with secrets, undisclosed truths and unspoken words. As expected, there are generational conflicts, cultural conflicts, as the American-born and raised daughter has a hard time understanding her mother’s background, her behavior, and her customs. The daughter doesn’t know about her mother’s Chinese life. The mother doesn’t about her daughter’s MS. The larger chunk of the book is devoted to the divulging of secrets small and large, which, not surprisingly, brings the two closer together. 
What I love most about Tan’s writing, however, is her ability to paint scenes from a regular life. We see Weiwei (the mother) go about her business: putting together flower bouquets in her flower shop, go around to Chinese stores, cook dinner, spend time with her grandchildren. Seemingly boring, in Tan’s hands, these common activities become snippets into the fascinating lives of the characters. 

Amy Tan, The Kitchen God’s Wife

Not from my list, but I can never say no to Amy Tan. Ever since reading The Joy Luck Club for a class many moons ago, I have enjoyed going back to Tan’s fiction. This, in many ways, is similar to The Joy Luck Club. The novel explores the tumultuous relationship between a mother and a daughter, a relationship that is fraught with secrets, undisclosed truths and unspoken words. As expected, there are generational conflicts, cultural conflicts, as the American-born and raised daughter has a hard time understanding her mother’s background, her behavior, and her customs. The daughter doesn’t know about her mother’s Chinese life. The mother doesn’t about her daughter’s MS. The larger chunk of the book is devoted to the divulging of secrets small and large, which, not surprisingly, brings the two closer together. 

What I love most about Tan’s writing, however, is her ability to paint scenes from a regular life. We see Weiwei (the mother) go about her business: putting together flower bouquets in her flower shop, go around to Chinese stores, cook dinner, spend time with her grandchildren. Seemingly boring, in Tan’s hands, these common activities become snippets into the fascinating lives of the characters.