JLC Blog 1

In the first story of the book, we learn about the author’s mother having died a few months beforehand. In her mothers place, her father has asked her to join The Joy Luck Club and play mah jongg every week with the rest of the group. There she learns the real story on how her mother ended up escaping and coming to America. Jing-mei had always heard different versions of the story that made it seem like a fairy tale, but now she knows that in order for her mother’s survival, she had to sacrifice leaving her twin babies behind. The group tells Jing-mei that her mother had secretly been tracking them down and received an address right before her death. Now the group is asking Jing-mei to travel to China and find her half sisters and tell them all about their mother. She now has an incredible responsibility placed upon her shoulders and is expected to succeed. I do not think it is fair of her family to expect her to carry out these extreme wishes, although I do realize that it has more to do with their Chinese tradition than anything. So far I am really enjoying the book. I think the author is a great writer and a good storyteller, and I am excited to learn more about the book.