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Welcome to Read This Book, the newsletter where I recommend a book you should add to your TBR, STAT! I stan variety in all things, and my book recommendations will be no exception. These must-read books will span genres and age groups. There will be new releases, oldie but goldies from the backlist, and the classics you may have missed in high school. Oh my! If you’re ready to diversify your books, then LEGGO!!
There is a definitely a reason why when you hear the name Amy Tan, you immediately think about The Joy Luck Club. If you don’t, then that is a problem. The novel has become a literary classic! While I can usually take or leave many of the classics written by dead white guys, The Joy Luck Club is a must-read book.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Four women who recently immigrated to San Francisco meet weekly to play mahjong and share stories of their previous life in China. United by their past loss and new hope for their daughters’ futures, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Although they freely share stories with each other, their daughters have never heard these stories. In fact, the daughters find their mothers’ advice to be irrelevant until their own crises reveal just how much of their mothers’ past they have inherited.
What I really love about The Joy Luck Club is how grand it feels, like reading a classic novel, while still reading like contemporary fiction. The other part that makes it a favorite is the story’s focus on mother-daughter relationships. The novel doesn’t just focus on their current relationship. We get to read pivotal moments in the mothers’ pasts that heavily influenced how they interact with their daughters. These moments help us see the similarities between mother and daughter that take them nearly a lifetime to see in one another.
I enjoyed An-Mei and Lindo’s stories the most because I always love reading about women who have enough wit and smarts to get themselves out of a bad situation. After knowing the sacrifices made by the mothers, I have to admit the daughters’ problems seem so insignificant. However, I still did relate to An-Mei’s daughter Rose and her desire for perfection in everything as well as Lindo’s daughter Waverly who is intelligent, independent, and in constant fear of disappointing her mother.
Unlike the first pancake, Amy Tan’s first novel was a runaway success. Instead of six weeks on the bookshelf and a lifetime in the shredder, The Joy Luck Club has been enchanting readers for over 30 years. I am one of those people. After reading this epic tale about the joys and pains of the mother and daughter bond, you will hopefully not only become another enchanted reader, but you will also add more Amy Tan books to that never ending TBR pile.
Until next time bookish friends,
Katisha
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