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So many parenting memoirs capture the various ways the authors' children have taken them to hell and back. Refreshingly, and perhaps uniquely, Chua instead catalogs the various ways she tortured her two young daughters, all in the name of Chinese tradition and the goal of reaching Carnegie Hall…Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is entertaining, bracingly honest and, yes, thought-provoking.
—The New York Times Book Review
…a diabolically well-packaged, highly readable screed…
—The New York Times
Readers will alternately gasp at and empathize with Chua's struggles and aspirations, all the while enjoying her writing, which, like her kid-rearing philosophy, is brisk, lively and no-holds-barred. This memoir raises intriguing, sometimes uncomfortable questions about love, pride, ambition, achievement and self-worth that will resonate among success-obsessed parents…
—The Washington Post
Considering the polarizing controversy her book has engendered, Chua comes across as surprisingly likable and engaging in her audiobook. Her narration and the text make it clear that while she vaunts her strict, "Chinese parenting," she is aware how and when she went too far. Her voice toggles between firm and self-righteous (this is her "earlier self" talking) and self-deprecation: she pokes fun at her extremism, muttering grumpily, "I didn't see what was so funny!" when her husband laughs at her insistence that he have big ambitions for not only their daughters but also the family dog. Chua's voice softens with doubt and questioning as she wonders how her daughters will look back at their childhoods, and she acknowledges that it's still a struggle for her to relinquish control. A thought-provoking and engaging listen. A Penguin Press hardcover. (Feb.)
Chua (Day of Empire) imparts the secret behind the stereotypical Asian child's phenomenal success: the Chinese mother. Chua promotes what has traditionally worked very well in raising children: strict, Old World, uncompromising values--and the parents don't have to be Chinese. What they are, however, are different from what she sees as indulgent and permissive Western parents: stressing academic performance above all, never accepting a mediocre grade, insisting on drilling and practice, and instilling respect for authority. Chua and her Jewish husband (both are professors at Yale Law) raised two girls, and her account of their formative years achieving amazing success in school and music performance proves both a model and a cautionary tale. Sophia, the eldest, was dutiful and diligent, leapfrogging over her peers in academics and as a Suzuki piano student; Lulu was also gifted, but defiant, who excelled at the violin but eventually balked at her mother's pushing. Chua's efforts "not to raise a soft, entitled child" will strike American readers as a little scary--removing her children from school for extra practice, public shaming and insults, equating Western parenting with failure--but the results, she claims somewhat glibly in this frank, unapologetic report card, "were hard to quarrel with." (Jan.)
Few have the guts to parent in public. Amy [Chua]'s memoir is brutally honest, and her willingness to share her struggles is a gift. Whether or not you agree with her priorities and approach, she should be applauded for raising these issues with a thoughtful, humorous and authentic voice.” —TIME
“Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is entertaining, bracingly honest and, yes, thought-provoking.” —The New York Times Book Review
“[A] riveting read . . . Far from being strident, the book's tone is slightly rueful, frequently self-deprecating and entirely aware of its author's enormities . . . Chua's story is far more complicated and interesting than what you've heard to date—and well worth picking up . . . I guarantee that if you read the book, there'll undoubtedly be places where you'll cringe in recognition, and others where you'll tear up in empathy.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Courageous and thought-provoking.” —David Brooks, The New York Times
“Breathtakingly personal . . . [Chua’s] tale is as compelling as a good thriller.” —The Financial Times
"[F]ascinating. . . . the most stimulating book on the subject of child rearing since Dr. Spock." —Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Chua’s memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, is a quick, easy read. It’s smart, funny, honest and a little heartbreaking . . .” —Chicago Sun-Times
“Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother hit the parenting hot button, but also a lot more, including people's complicated feelings about ambition, intellectualism, high culture, the Ivy League, strong women and America's standing in a world where China is ascendant. Chua's conviction that hard work leads to inner confidence is a resonant one.” —Chicago Tribune
“Readers will alternately gasp at and empathize with Chua's struggles and aspirations, all the while enjoying her writing, which, like her kid-rearing philosophy, is brisk, lively and no-holds-barred. This memoir raises intriguing, sometimes uncomfortable questions about love, pride, ambition, achievement and self-worth that will resonate among success-obsessed parents . . . Readers of all stripes will respond to [Battle Hymn of the] Tiger Mother.” —The Washington Post
Chua’s memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, is a quick, easy read. It’s smart, funny, honest and a little heartbreaking…
"[F]ascinating. . . . the most stimulating book on the subject of child rearing since Dr. Spock."
Breathtakingly personal…[Chua’s] tale is as compelling as a good thriller.
Courageous and thought-provoking.
[A] riveting read… Far from being strident, the book's tone is slightly rueful, frequently self-deprecating and entirely aware of its author's enormities… Chua's story is far more complicated and interesting than what you've heard to date — and well worth picking up… I guarantee that if you read the book, there'll undoubtedly be places where you'll cringe in recognition, and others where you'll tear up in empathy.
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is entertaining, bracingly honest and, yes, thought-provoking.
Few have the guts to parent in public. Amy [Chua]'s memoir is brutally honest, and her willingness to share her struggles is a gift. Whether or not you agree with her priorities and approach, she should be applauded for raising these issues with a thoughtful, humorous and authentic voice.”
This audiobook will have “weak-willed,” “indulgent” parents making sarcastic, probably unprintable, comments to their MP3 players. Amy Chua notes that being a “Chinese mother” is more a state of mind than of ethnicity. While the parenting goals she espouses are laudable—“arming [one’s] children with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence,” listeners will cringe at her unrelenting harshness in carrying out those goals. Her daughters aren’t allowed playdates or sleepovers, and a grade of A- brings the wrath of the Tiger Mother. The girls must practice their instruments for hours daily—only piano or violin is acceptable—and she threatens: “If the next time's not PERFECT, I'm going to take all your stuffed animals and burn them!" In interviews Chua has insisted that her book is a satire—sort of. But that quality does not come through in her reading, which is characterized by a crisp, bright timbre and a self-satisfied tone. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
| BN ID: | 2940169321449 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House |
| Publication date: | 01/11/2011 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 1,068,323 |
This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs. It's also about Mozart and Mendelssohn, the piano and the violin, and how we made it to Carnegie Hall.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother"
by .
Copyright © 2011 Amy Chua.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
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