The Joy Luck Club

I selected The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan because it was on the 11th grade reading list at my new place of employment. I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. I felt that the relationships and the issues faced by the mothers and daughters in the book were very realistic. Also, I loved that like many southern fathers I know (cough cough--John Paul Pendergrass), Chinese mothers have a tendency to make up stories to keep their children from doing something they don't think is best. While, as I young child, I avoided eating watermelon seeds because I thought I would get pregnant and sitting on dirty toilet seats because I thought that is where my freckles came from, these Chinese mothers dispensed wisdom that is a little more valuable.

I must mention that I feel this book is an adult book. The content of this book is not overwhelming or inappropriate. I feel this book is an adult book because I don't feel that many young people would understand the complexity of many of the relationships that Tan explores in this novel. I do believe that every twenty-something young woman should read this book!