This r
eview is from: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
People who are taking Tiger Mom book the wrong way (particularly those who read the excerpt in the newspapers and not the Tiger Mom book itself) are missing the big picture. The Tiger Mom book is a memoir, and Amy Chua tells her story no-holds-barred. Her mother is a central figure and her discipline (right or wrong) has shaped who Amy Chua has become. Like all of us, Amy Chua has had to find the good in her parents, particularly the good in their intentions (even when they aren’t easy to find). Those who are treating this as a parenting manual advocating parents to raise their children the Tiger Mom book way. Or as Amy Chua was raised either haven’t read the Tiger Mom book or have completely missed the point.
You also get to go along with Amy Chua as she raises her two daughters. They had incredibly strict rules to follow: no play dates, no sleepovers, and two hours a day of instrument practice. You see that her parenting isn’t perfect in their achievements: the oldest played in Carnegie Hall at the age of 14 and the youngest…well I don’t want to give away one of the best parts of the story but lets just say they had different paths. You live her struggle with a parenting style that’s seen as extreme in America.
Even though I’m deeply implanted in the “lax” Western style of parenting, I still related deeply to the struggles of raising children. The Tiger Mom book is hilarious and shocking in places. The kind of book you can’t put down. The transformation Amy Chua moves through is powerful. Her writing still is brisk and lively and you’re sure to empathize with her struggles and her dreams. The Tiger Mom book is striking a chord with so many because it hits hard at the questions we all must answer for ourselves in life: love, achievement, self-esteem, ambition, pride… She doesn’t ultimately answer the question for anyone in the Tiger Mom book, she just tells her story in a way that’s so real and so powerful that you’ll never forget it. For more Tiger Mom book reviews just click the book on the right.