Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, certainly does not my help in getting the word out about her book. She has become a familiar face on the daytime talk show circuit, even scoring airtime with Oprah. The book has been on the bestseller list for weeks. Why even bother bringing it up here? The answer is simple, I think many people are avoiding the book because of all the negative press that has surrounded it since its release. I think readers are saying to themselves “Well I already know that I don’t agree with Ms. Chua on the question of child raising, so I don’t need to read her book.”
I think everyone needs to read it for one reason and one reason only– it is entertaining as all get-out!
In an interview with Oprah, the author herself is adamant that Battle Hymn is not a book about how she thinks other people should parent. It is not a how-to manual for new parents, nor is it a critique of the western parenting style. It is simply a story of how one Chinese mother decided to bring up her two daughters. The anecdotes are both hilarious and heartbreaking and Chua shares them with a generous and reflective spirit. I doubt most parents could be as candid in recounting the trials and tribulations of child rearing.
Instead of villifying the author for being an ultra-strict, uncompromising, and sometimes cruel disciplinarian, I applaud her for having the courage to tell her story. This is one to read and talk about over dinner and at cocktail parties!