Where the Past Begins: A Writer's Memoir by Amy Tan

Tan’s new memoir demonstrates that strength and resilience can triumph against all odds.  Having lost both her father and older brother within 6 months of each other when Tan was fifteen, she manages to cope by dedicating and empathizing with her mother despite her mother’s constant threats of suicide.  Tan shares her family history and cultural heritage through letters, documents and photos.  It was fascinating to learn about her maternal grandmother’s life in China and Tan’s mother life in Shanghai…  There are lots of details that helped me understand how being raised by immigrant Chinese parents and having to live up to high expectations impact Tan as a writer.  I enjoyed the chapter on the nuances of language and was touched by Tan’s relationship with her mother towards the end of her life.