Amy Tan came late to writing fiction, publishing her debut novel, The Joy Luck Club, in 1989 at the age of 37. This international bestseller is structured around the game mahjong, so when Tan came to the Guardian book club, John Mullan began by asking her if the reader has to understand the game to understand the novel.
She goes on to talk about the internal languages of her characters, the role of superstition and her own mother's reaction to this novel of Chinese American mother and daughter relationships.
Reading list
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Vintage)
