Amy Tan Portrait 2 by David Sifry [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Wilda Dow’s 3 daughters were very special guests for her presentation on Amy Tan.

Although Amy Tan’s main characters are Chinese and Chinese-American women, Wilda emphasized that the author does not write to inform readers of cultural differences. Rather, Tan captures the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, especially when they are raised in different cultures.

Wilda described Amy Tan’s own childhood in California, growing up primarily with a Chinese mother who was superstitious, eccentric and fiery, leading to violent clashes.  This tumultuous life with her mother exerted an enormous influence on her books.

A new book is being published by Amy Tan and will be on shelves soon!

Enjoy reading Wilda’s presentation summary, here.