Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue.

Culture and More..

This book is a yarn spun by four women , Chinese Americans and their mothers who have seen dificult times. It is a good mix of else where and now.

The book of is an easy read. The flow of the book will not let you put it down.

I liked reading about the various practices in China. Their belief in fortune, trying to beget favorable conditions, even when everything is not so right, is fascinating.

Different voices in the book form a bridge between short story and novel forms. Although the distinctness of the voices is not preserved, the matter of the stories are still conveyed in a very interesting manner.

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is a novel that every mother and daughter should read together. It is all about the sacred mother daughter bond and discovering who we are and how much we have of our mother in us. This book perfectly describes the relationship and doesn't try to sugar coat it or add false drama. This is a real book. It was enjoyable to read because there was no point in the story where i felt as if I had to keep reading against my will. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book to read.

Bring On the Emotion

This book was very emotional. It played on mostly somber emotions though, which I found to be quite depressing. A lot of the book was centered around the pain and suffering these women (the mothers) had to endure, and the trials and hardships the younger women (the daughters) had to put up with. Despite the fact that it had a feeling of sadness, the book was exceptionally written. I found myself flipping through the pages not wanting to stop. Just to see what these women went through, fiction or not, showed me how strong someone can be in any situation. This book told me how to be strong and independent and think quickly, but still using common sense. I would recommend it to anyone that is in need for a good read.