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Book Review of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Bookfanatic avatar reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2


I had to see what the hype was about this book because I'm also an Asian-American raised by immigrant parents. I wasn't impressed with Amy Chua's book. You should know this is more a memoir than a parenting book. Her parents' style of parenting is what Chua uses(ed) with her two daughters. Her parenting style is dark and, at times, brutal. Some of her anecdotes leave the reader feeling very uneasy. She comes across as a drill sergeant and her children the new recruits who must be broken in. While I'm not a fan of lenient, "I'm your friend" style of parenting that some Western parents use, I'm also not a fan of harsh, borderline abusive methods either. My parents raised me without resorting to the name-calling, disturbing methods Chua used and I turned out fine.

I look forward to the day when her fully-grown, fully emancipated daughters write their own tell-all book about their upbringing.