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Micro Memoir Review

Updated: Jun 29, 2022

Three Things I Learned Reading The Opposite of Fate: Memoirs of a Writing Life by Amy Tan

Penguin Books, $16, ISBN 978-0-14-200489-0, 2003


amy tan book

1. I read the book that made her famous, The Joy Luck Club, so long ago, I want to reread it. There is a whole chapter on what it was like turning that book into a movie, which was full of wit and humility and a lot of commentary from her mother.


2. I never really thought about what it would be like to have your book received and always labeled "Chinese" even though she repeatedly categorizes herself as an American writer. You can hear her frustration through the pages.


3. She suffered from insane symptoms related to Lyme disease, which went undiagnosed for years. I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever start hallucinating in the middle of the night.


Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts.

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