Books Journalists Should Read, No. Definitely No.

The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan

This is the second Amy Tan book I’ve read. The first one was The Joy Luck Club, which was very similar to the movie of the same name. However, it was easier to understand when you were changing narrators in the movie. Again, Tan uses this device of changing narrators without giving the reader a clear indication of the change. Truly confusing at times.

While Tan gives some great insight into Chinese culture, traditions and history, this book really reads like The Joy Luck Club. Especially in the beginning. After the first few chapters, I had to close the book, look at the cover and make sure I wasn’t reading The Joy Luck Club. Does that make the book repetitive? Well yes. I believe it does, which is one of the biggest problems I see with this book. It just seems like a rehash of The Joy Luck Club in parts, which is why I wouldn’t recommend this book as a must read for journalists. Although not on the College Media Advisers list of books that journalists should read, Tan is an accomplished writer who gives a different perspective from the male-dominated, white, middle-class perspective offered in so many of the books on CMA’s list. But just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s better.

Tan does give some great visual images, and I would recommend The Kitchen God’s Wife to my International and Intercultural Communications class. It would also be a good read for a Women’s studies class. But the storytelling and writing don’t rise to the levels of must read.