Hi readers and friends, today kicks of Cara Chow's blog tour of her book Bitter Melon. Today Cara stopped by the blog to tell us about authors who have influenced her work.
As a teen, my favorite YA author was Robert Cormier. The Chocolate War was the first book I had ever read that was so edgy, dark, and honest about the nature of evil and desire. I admire Cormier’s ability to combine a tight, suspenseful plot with beautiful prose and complex characters. I continued to read Cormier’s books long after I stopped being a teenager. From time to time, I still re-read books like Tenderness and Heroes, in part to relive the magic but also to study Cormier’s prose, plot, and characterization.
Welcome to the blog Cara and my question today is what authors have inspired you?
As a teen, my favorite YA author was Robert Cormier. The Chocolate War was the first book I had ever read that was so edgy, dark, and honest about the nature of evil and desire. I admire Cormier’s ability to combine a tight, suspenseful plot with beautiful prose and complex characters. I continued to read Cormier’s books long after I stopped being a teenager. From time to time, I still re-read books like Tenderness and Heroes, in part to relive the magic but also to study Cormier’s prose, plot, and characterization.
Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club was also an inspiration for me, though I wasn’t aware of this until a few years after I began writing Bitter Melon. It was the first time I had read a work of fiction by a Chinese American. It was also the first time I had read a story I could identify with so well. The mothers in Tan’s story said things to their daughters that my mother had said to me word for word! Prior to reading this book, it had never occurred to me that the issues I had with my own mother were in part cultural. It also hadn’t occurred to me that I, a Chinese American female, could be a writer myself. So I really have Amy Tan to thank for planting the idea in my mind that writing Bitter Melon was possible.
Bitter Melon
What would you do if your mother planned every step in your life...and demanded you follow?
Frances has one job in life. To get into Berkeley and become a doctor so that her mother's ambitions for her will be realized. And Frances doesn't think there's anything wrong with that - until the day she accidentally steps into a speech class.
Frances turns out to be a natural at debate and public speaking. But to win in competition, Frances needs to say things she really believes - and to hide what she's doing from her mother. And once Frances steps out beyond her narrowly prescribed life, she begins to question many things about the way she is raised. Frances knows she must be obedient to her mother, who has sacrificed so much for her education. But how much is Frances living out the life her mother wants her to have, instead of the life that's right for Frances?
Im looking forward to reading Cara's Bitter Melon, which will be reviewed later this month, thanks Cara for stopping by!
Great post. I loooved The Joy Luck Club.
ReplyDeleteOoh I look forward to your review of this. Sounds like a book I can really relate to!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for Bitter Melon. Great post :)
ReplyDeleteHaven't read any of those authors works, but I'll be sure to check them out. Awesome post! Can't wait to read Bitter Melon!
ReplyDelete-Danna
Oh this one sounds great! I've head so much about the Joy Luck Club, I really should go back and read some of the books I missed out on before reading became a big part of my life:) Thanks for this guest post!
ReplyDeleteBitter Melon sounds so good. Yay for debaters and public speakers! I loved competing in high school, it was so fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I've been wanting to read The Chocolate Wars for a while, but I keep forgetting about it. Thanks for the reminder.
OMYGOSH Missie- I did highschool debate, I LOVED it, even though it was looked at as geeky- I had a ball doing it. My first big smack down was a toxic water dispute!!
ReplyDeleteJenny&Juju- I loved The Joy Luck Club, that part with the baby in the tub still haunts me.
Jenny- You should read this too, then we can compare thoughts...:D
Oh really, T?!
ReplyDeleteI'm pro toxic water. It has some great benefits. Like how you can use it to kill rodents and....
;)
HAHA- I was the debater fighting the evil company to clean it up- the guy I was debating was the douche-bag corp guy. Needless to say I beat him down with my words of powerful debate madness!!
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