I watched the film when it was first released and was very enamored by it. I felt seen. I wasn't used to seeing stories that related so closely to my story and my family. The struggles that occur between immigrant moms and American-born daughters were very relatable.

My first reading of the book was soon after watching the film, probably in the mid- to late-1990s and this is one of my favorite book-to-film stories. The movie doesn't include all parts of the book and alters the ending a little (maybe for the better?) but still reflects the novel's essence. I re-read this in 2023 as part of a book club assignment and it hit me differently than it had 25+ years ago. I can appreciate some of the nuances in her writing that I didn't notice before. It still made me sad most of the time and in the end, I wanted to give each of them a hug.

I was unaware of the controversy or hate of this book when it came out. I first heard about it while watching the documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memories. As I looked for more information, I found a Slate article by Inkoo Kang, who wrote:

That kind of rejection inevitably happens to pioneers when they’re the only ones to break through. (It bears repeating: This is especially the case when they’re female and/or female-centered.) When Chinese American actress Anna May Wong briefly became a Hollywood star in the first half of the 20th century, she received backlash from her community for the stereotypical “dragon lady“ roles in which she was cast. In the ’90s, I grew up hearing nasty comments in the Korean American community about comedian Margaret Cho.

When people are hungry for representation, they can become the most critical. I've done this too when I have a personal relationship with a story that has become available to the mainstream. I really don't understand the criticism but I respect other people's feelings. I hope that they decide to re-read the book in the future and see if it hits differently.