Amy Chua, the Tiger Mother

Finally read Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother at one go till three in the morning last night. It is a simple yet stupendous work that inspires you at so many wonderful levels, your mind is left buzzing with infinite questions, perspectives, doubts and convictions. More than anything else, it is a tale of love, commitment and hardcore determination. It is a tale both of success and failure. It is a story that inspires an abundance of warmth, trepidation and courage all at once. Amazingly, it is also a book about music - the most important theme that pervades the novel. The way in which music flows through her memoir on parenting is fantastic. There is an incredible lot that one could say about the Tiger Mother, but one thing is for certain - she is brutally honest, forthright and brave. The book teaches you the value of discipline and the power of commitment. It demonstrates the arduousness of raising children, and it celebrates the triumph of solid foundational values. The fact that she is scathingly honest in her book about her views on what she calls Western-style parenting frightened the American media into a tailspin of paranoia, defensiveness and uninformed opinion-mongering upon its publication last year, but Battle Hymn speaks for itself and teaches you some crucial lessons. You can agree or disagree with her views, but you've got to admire her sheer grit and determination.

Comments