Four Chinese women, drawn together by the shadow of their past, meet in San Francisco to play mah jong, invest in stocks, eat dim sum, and to say stories to each other. Nearly 40 years later, one of the women has died, and her daughter arrives to take her place. However, the daughter never expected to learn of her mother's secret lifelong wish - and the tragic way in which it has come true. The revelation creates among the women an urgent need to remember the past. What is lost between generations and among friends - and what is salvaged - resonates throughout this novel of friendship among women and the relations between mothers and daughters.
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"A collection of connected stories, offering perspectives from four Chinese mothers and their Chinese-American daughters. It amazed me to see where these women wound up after leading the sort of lives they had in China and I was glad to see their daughters come to understand them a little more throughout the course of the book, while also learning about themselves in the process. It reminds me that no matter how old we get, there is still much we can learn from the women in our lives." — Holly (4 out of 5 stars)
"A collection of connected stories, offering perspectives from four Chinese mothers and their Chinese-American daughters. It amazed me to see where these women wound up after leading the sort of lives they had in China and I was glad to see their daughters come to understand them a little more throughout the course of the book, while also learning about themselves in the process. It reminds me that no matter how old we get, there is still much we can learn from the women in our lives."
" An easy escape into China of the past...mahjong and sizzling kitchen dishes mixed with modern identity crises and friendship. "
" I really enjoyed this book. The relationships hold true for mothers and daughters of all ethnic groups. "
" I enjoyed the book so much I read it again! I enjoyed each story even more the second time. I did skip the story about the brother drowning because it was too sad. But the rest I read again. I just got the movie to watch too! "
" surprisingly I enjoyed the slut club "
" The issues that divide generations of Chinese-Americans are very similar to the issues between the first and second, and the second and third generations of Filipino-Americans. "
" Loved it! Read it before we adopted Lilly. That's why the license plate on the Honda is SUYUAN long awaited blessing. "
" Thoroughly enjoyed... beginning to end. "
" I thought this was a beautiful, touching, powerful exploration of the relationships between mothers and daughters. Some things are easy to relate to, regardless of one's culture. "
" Very moving story of the women who moved me to tears for the sacrifices that they made to insure a better life for them and their families "
" A book I was required to read during high school. Suffice to say it was a good read but I don't remember much about the plot. "
" This was a great story! It tells all about mother and daughter relationships. I wish some of the stories would of had resolutions instead of just wishes. "
" The best, I believe, of Tan's books. The book, as always, was light years better than the movie. "
" My first peek at Chinese-American culture. "
" Really did not like this book much at all. I loved Hundred Secret Senses and The Bonesetter's Daughter, however. "
" Fantastic story and definitely deserved to be made a movie. "
" The Joy Luck Club was sweet and rich in chinese culture. It showed the daily lifestyle of most Chinese-American families. The book is fast paced because it is divided into short stories between the lives and the views of each character. "
" One of my favorite authors, this was the first book of hers that I read in HS. "
" Great story about mother/daughter relationships within the Chinese American culture. "
" The beginning of my love of Amy Tan "
" another one of my favorites, had to read it for school but loved it so much, I read it again later. "
" An authentic book about recent Chinese history and the Chinese immigrant experience in North America. "
" despite the superstition and stuff, this book was and is a great read. it emanates a lot of culture, Chinese culture, to be exact. and shows the importance of the relationships of mothers and dauguters. "
" I enjoy reading books about other cultures. This was such an endearing story. Each character was painted with such fine strokes and the whole was like a Monet. I'll read it again. The video is also very close to the book. Wonderful. "
" Fantastic. I related to this so much, as my family's Chinese. Some of the words sound so clear in my head, which shows how clear the voices in this book are. "
" I had a hard time getting into this at first, but once I did I found the story-telling riveting, and the relationships between the characters fascinating. "
" this book is sort of magically and myth-like. i loved it. perhaps a little dry here and there, but beautiful. "
" not for me I read this for a book club a few years ago. "
" Seriously hated this book. The mother DROVE ME NUTS, which I later realized was a testament to Amy Tan's writing skills. If she ever writes a book without the over-bearing mother in it, I'm all over it. "
Amy Tan is the author of numerous New York Times bestselling novels, including The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses, The Valley of Amazement, and The Bonesetter’s Daughter, as well as The Kitchen God’s Wife, which hit the #1 New York Times bestseller spot. She has also written the children’s books The Moon Lady and Sagwa, which has been adapted for television by PBS. Her essays and stories have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, and her work has been translated into thirty-five languages.
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