Tan, Amy (1952–)

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Tan, Amy (1952–)

Asian-American writer. Born Feb 19, 1952, in Oakland, California; dau. of John (electrical engineer) and Daisy Tan (Chinese immigrants); San Jose State University, BA, MA; attended University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of California, Berkeley; m. Louis DeMattei (lawyer), 1974.

Won admission to Squaw Valley writer's workshop with 1st short story "Endgame," which was printed in FM magazine; traveled to China with mother (1987), who, having escaped from the Chinese civil war, had been forced to leave behind 3 daughters; using mother's story, wrote 1st novel, The Joy Luck Club (1989), which was a bestseller and finalist for National Book Award; published 2nd novel, The Kitchen God's Wife (1991), which also enjoyed brisk sales; also wrote children's books, The Moon Lady and The Chinese Siamese Cat, novels The Hundred Secret Senses (1998) and The Bonesetter's Daughter (2001), as well as The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings (2003); nominated for BAFTA Award and Writer's Guild Award for screenplay for The Joy Luck Club (1993).