Amy Tan

by Susan Muaddi Darraj

In 1987, Amy Tan had already built a successful career as a freelance writer for well-known companies and corporations. However, though her work was lucrative, she still felt unsatisfied—until she tried to write fiction. Tan realized that she needed to express the things that mattered to her.Two years later, The Joy Luck Club hit bookstores, and Amy Tan, the daughter of immigrant parents from China, became a household name. She had written stories about real issues in her life and the lives of her growing up as a Chinese American, the difficulty and challenges of starting over in a new country, and the tragedy of loss. Amy Tan is an inspiring biography of a woman whose own life is as arresting as that of one of her protagonists. Readers will find out how Tan followed her voice and became a beloved writer who touched the lives of people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds everywhere.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 31, 2007

About the author

Susan Muaddi Darraj won the 2016 American Book Award for her novel-in-stories, A Curious Land: Stories from Home.

Her new novel, Behind You Is the Sea (Harper Collins, 2024) is set in Baltimore and follows the stories of a Palestinian American immigrant community.

Her previous short story collection, The Inheritance of Exile, was honored by the U.S. State Department’s Arabic Book Program.

She was named a 2016 USA Ford Fellow, and she has received awards for her writing from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance.

Her new children's chapter book series, FARAH ROCKS, was published from Capstone Books in January 2020. It is the first children's book series to feature an Arab American protagonist.

A Philadelphia native, she currently lives in Baltimore. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @SusanDarraj.

Reviews

[Zihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

a biography about Amy tan, one of my favorite writers. The language of this book is clear and concise and also fascinating. Love it!