Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
Reviewed by: Renny Fong
About the author:
Amy Chua is the John M. Duff Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Her first book, World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability, a New York Times bestseller, was selected by both The Economist and the U.K.’s Guardian as one of the Best Books of 2003. Her second book, Day of Empire: How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance-and Why They Fall, was a critically acclaimed Foreign Affairs bestseller.
About the book:
A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what Chinese parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it’s like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I’ve done it…Amy Chua’s daughters, Sophia and Louisa (Lulu) were polite, interesting and helpful, they were two years ahead of their classmates in maths and had exceptional musical abilities. But Sophia and Lulu were never allowed to attend a sleepover, be in a school play, choose their own extracurricular activities, get any grade less than an A, and not be the #1 student in every subject (except gym and drama). And they had to practice their instruments for hours every day, as well as in school breaks and on family holidays. The Chinese-parenting model certainly seemed to produce results. But what happens when you do not tolerate disobedience and are confronted by a screaming child who would sooner freeze outside in the cold than be forced to play the piano? In Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua relates her experiences raising her children the ‘Chinese way’, and how dutiful, patient Sophia flourished under the regime and how tenacious, hot-tempered Lulu rebelled. It is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs. It’s also about Mozart and Mendelssohn, the piano and the violin, and how they made it to Carnegie Hall. It was supposed to be a story of how Chinese parents are better at raising kids than Western ones. But instead, it’s about a bitter clash of cultures, a fleeting taste of glory, and how you can be humbled by a thirteen-year-old.
My take on the book:
On the cover, it reads, “This is a story about a mother, two daughters, and two dogs.” Immediately, I thought, what about the father? After reading this book, I firmly believe that it’s also about the “Unsung Hymn of the Tiger Mother’s Husband.” One might think Jed Rubenfeld (Tiger Dad) sat around and did nothing, while Tiger Mom ruled and dictated her two daughters’ lives.
I admired how he didn’t take sides. He respected and loved his wife and his daughters. No matter how much he disagreed with her teachings or philosophy, he never made her the “fall guy.” He backed her up, but then disagreed with her when the kids weren’t around. He created balance and harmony for his family. When she ruled with an iron fist, he made up for it by a loving hand. That’s one of the big reasons why I think the fa