Review of 'The Joy Luck Club'

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

This is Tan's first novel and is a fantastic one at that. The Joy Luck Club tells the story of four mothers originally from China (having moved to the US) and their American daughters. The chapters alternate between the eight of them with the core narrative focused on Jing-Mei (June) Woo whose mother passes away before the book begins yet whose story is the essence of what the novel is about: self-sacrifice and promises of the future. The characters are very thoughtfully portrayed and sensitive with important issues confronted head on. The writing is fluid and keeps the readers interest. A touching and important work of modern fiction. A must read.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2004-10-11


Genre: General Fiction

Publisher: Minerva

Publication Date: 1989


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