Amy Tan

About

Chinese-American writer who is most famous for her 1987 novel, The Joy Luck Club. Her other bestselling works include The Kitchen God's Wife (1991) and the 1994 book, Sagwa and the Chinese Siamese Cat, which was turned into an animated television series.

Before Fame

She attended San Jose State University, where she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and linguistics. She later carried out doctoral work in linguistics at both the University of California-Santa Cruz and the University of California-Berkeley.

Trivia

Her novels typically focus on the relationships between mothers and daughters.

Family Life

She was born in Oakland, California to Chinese immigrant parents. She met her husband, attorney Louis DeMattei, on a blind date.

Associated With

Her most widely recognized novel is The Joy Luck Club, which was made into a movie starring Russell Wong.