I’m always astounded by the way Amy Tan weaves past and present, emotion and detachment, humour and tragedy, all so effortlessly. So empathetic is her voice, so keen are her insights, that the most innocuous and insignificant take on new dimensions and life in her talented hands. I have read Tan’s essays on her mother’s intriguing life in China before she immigrated to the US. So, it was quite obvious that much of The Kitchen God’s Wife is based on her mother’s childhood at the mouth of the Pearl River and her first marriage to an abusive husband. What I admire the most about this novel is the manner in which Tan skilfully explores the identities and experiences of Chinese women sans commentary. The stories belong to the women and from the mouths of these characters do we hear the harsh stories of their lives. I’m so glad that Tan isn’t a prolific writer because her few works are real gems and The Kitchen God’s Wife affirms Amy Tan’s place amongst my favourite writers (and I don’t know why but I love full naming her).
