Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
by Amy Chua
List Price: $16.00
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780143120582
Publisher: Penguin
An awe-inspiring, often hilarious and unerringly honest story of one mother's exercise in extreme parenting, revealing the rewards-and the costs-of raising her children the Chinese way.
All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. What Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reveals is that the Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing environment. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect your children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother chronicles Chua's iron-willed decision to raise her daughters, Sophia and Lulu, her way --- the Chinese way --- and the remarkable results her choice inspires.
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1. In the beginning of her book Chua describes her daughters Sophia and Lulu’s personalities from birth. In what ways are they inherently different from one another?
2. Chua identifies herself with her Chinese zodiac sign, the tiger. How does she exemplify its characteristics? Are there any ways in which she might defy those characteristics? Can you relate to your own zodiac sign?
3. What role does music play in Chua’s life as compared to her children’s lives? And does music play such an important role in your own life?
4. How is Lulu and Sophia’s childhood different from their mother’s, as Chua describes them? Do you see similarities and differences in your own childhood?
5. Never a pet lover, Chua reluctantly ends up raising two dogs, Coco and Pushkin. How do the dogs change her, and what does she learn from them?
6. What do you think about Chua’s relationship with her younger daughter, Lulu? How do they push each other’s buttons?
7. Chua only intermittently discusses her husband’s opinions, but mostly keeps him out of her memoir. What can you glean about him from these pages?
8. If you could ask Chua one question, what would it be?
9. At the end of the book Chua expresses some regrets about her choices. What does she regret and how do you imagine she might do things differently, given the chance?
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"A bestseller of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Boston Globe, and around the world.
"Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is entertaining, bracingly honest and, yes, thought-provoking."
— The New York Times Book Review
"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 Magazine
"[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
